— courtesy VGCC

Franklin County Early College High School is hosting a Blood Drive for the American Red Cross on Thursday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin Campus.

Coordinating the drive is Abril Rosales-Martinez, a Super Senior at FCECHS, who says she’s been a long-time donor for the Red Cross. She’s organizing her first drive, she said, because she has seen how medical conditions affect the lives of those who are in need of blood.

“I have friends and family who have been drafted into a battle against cancer and other conditions, so I appreciate the necessity of blood donations,” she said.

Students in the Community Services Club at FCECHS are assisting Rosales-Martinez with the drive by helping donors get checked in, attending to donors in the waiting area and serving snacks when the process is finished.

Appointments can be made by visiting the Red Cross website at www.RedCrossBlood.org and using the sponsor code VGCC. Those who make appointments will minimize their wait time, Rosales said. The Red Cross also encourages potential donors to save time by completing a pre-donation reading and answering health history questions on the day of the appointment at www.RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass.

Donors must be over 16 years old, although those who are 16 may donate if they have parental permission. Those with questions about eligibility can call the Red Cross at 866-236-3276.

As an incentive, Rosales-Martinez said, VGCC Franklin Campus is conducting a drawing among the day’s donors to give away two lunch boxes and gift cards to Bojangles and Zaxby’s. The Red Cross, she added, has an appreciation offer for those donating blood between April 9 and May 13 with donors automatically being entered in a sweepstakes to win one of three $1,000 gift cards to The Home Depot, courtesy of Suburban Propane.

The Blood Drive will be staged in the Multipurpose Meeting Room in Building 4 on the VGCC Franklin Campus at 8100 NC 56 in Louisburg.

— VGCC —