On Thursday, January 23, 2025, Catholic Central High School held its annual blood drive, with 28 participants signing up, including 18 students. This drive is one of two blood drives the school organizes each year - one in the first semester and one in the second.
Mike Carrier '06, Director of Student Activities, shared that the majority of students who participated were juniors. "It’s great to see juniors stepping up this year. Hopefully, their involvement will inspire others to donate in the coming years," he said.
The Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) club played an active role in this year’s blood drive. Members encouraged students to sign up during lunch periods in the weeks leading up to the event, helping to boost student participation.
Father Patrick Fulton, CSB also gave blood, as he does nearly every year. With an O negative blood type, the universal blood type that can be used during all blood transfusions, Fr. Fulton expressed that he feels called to give.
During last year’s blood drive, he expressed that the importance of giving blood stemmed from his father, who was a paramedic and served in the Canadian Air Force.
The donations were collected by the Versiti Blood Center of Michigan. All contributions remain within the state, with most being distributed to local hospitals. Since its founding in 1955, Versiti has become a vital resource in Michigan, collecting over 135,000 units of blood annually and earning national recognition for its stem cell (marrow) program.