Catholic high school's blood drive is a 20-year success story

Published: 2005-06-01

WILMINGTON, Del. (CNS) -- Twenty years ago, Alex Meloro wanted to pay tribute to his immigrant parents. Bob Novack wanted to get his Eagle Scout badge. Their high school classmates just wanted to get out of class. The free cookies weren't bad, either. That was in 1985, when St. Mark's High School in Wilmington became the first high school in the Delmarva Peninsula -- which includes all of Delaware and parts of eastern Maryland and Virginia -- to host a blood drive. Twenty years later, more than 8,000 students from 68 high schools donate blood when the Blood Bank of Delmarva visits schools. That accounts for about 7 percent of the blood bank's total supply. The Delmarva Blood Bank notes that almost 53,000 blood donations have been received from local students, saving more than 156,000 lives.

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