Photo Provided Bridgeport Exempted Village School District is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive Friday. High school Principal Jack Fisher, from left, is proud of the school’s National Honor Society students including seniors Vanessa Mullen and Xander Stauffer for helping and adviser Ashley Krieger for her assistance organizing the drive.

BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport Exempted Village School District is helping give the gift of life by partnering with the American Red Cross for a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.

Music teacher Ashely Krieger, adviser for the district’s National Honor Society chapter, is helping organize the drive and working with students. The blood drive is open to students, staff and the public. Students who are 16 or 17 and want to donate blood must have a consent form from their parents.

“We try to have one twice a year,” Krieger said of the drive. “We try to have one in the fall and then another one either in later winter or early spring. They set up in our elementary gymnasium.”

Donors should schedule a time on the Red Cross website. There are still several slots open, and walk-in donors will also be welcomed. The district’s goal for each blood drive is to bring in at least 30 units of blood. According to the National Institute of Health, 10 units of blood is considered a “massive transfusion.” A unit of blood is about one pint, which is the typical amount drawn from a donor.

The juniors and seniors of the National Honor Society play an active role in the drives.

“National Honor Society members help the Red Cross employees with the blood drive. They help by getting donors signed in. They also help by escorting them from our main office back to the elementary gymnasium,” Krieger said.

Krieger said students with an interest in phlebotomy or nursing could also gain experience from observing the Red Cross employees. She said enthusiasm is high among students.

“It makes them feel good to serve their community, to be able to help. They know what’s going on around our country and around the world and being able to help with the blood drive is one small way they can give back to the community in terms of service.”

Bridgeport schools’ National Honor Society currently consists of seven seniors. They will be inducting six new members from the junior class during the traditional Tapping and Induction Ceremony, also to be held Friday.

Senior Xander Stauffer is looking forward to the blood drive.

“It would be cool to help out, especially with the blood drive,” he said, adding that he encourages the public to stop by and donate. “I think it would be worth your time.”

Senior Vanessa Mullen agreed.

“Giving blood’s one of the easiest ways to help out. If you’re not able to help out with other ways in the hurricane by helping donate products, there’s always the opportunity to donate your blood,” she said. “I’m just looking forward to helping them out as they are also helping in a great cause.”

The Red Cross has partnered with Bridgeport schools for more than 11 years and has always been very appreciative of the district. If the district raises 30 units of blood, the Red Cross will award a $250 scholarship to one of the National Honor Society members.

In the aftermath of recent hurricanes and other disasters, the call is going out for assistance including blood donations.

“The need is very high,” Krieger said. “If people aren’t able to attend our blood drive on Friday, if that time and date isn’t convenient for them, you can visit the Red Cross website and find other local drives and schedule an appointment at one of those.”

Bridgeport High School Principal Jack Fisher said he is proud of his students.

“I’m really happy to see our students stepping up, as they usually do. Whenever things like certain tragedies occur, our students are always very quick to step up and see what they can do to help out in our community and, in this situation, on a much larger scale. Our kids as well as our staff are very eager to help out, and it just shows how our kids really try to think about much more than themselves. They look at the bigger picture. They look at what we can do. It’s a really good representation of who our kids are.”

Anyone from the community who wants to donate at the school is asked to sign in at the main office and receive a visitor’s badge.

The next blood drive at Bridgeport schools will be set for Feb. 26. The Red Cross registration site is redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=bhsOH.