OCHS Beta Club Hosts Second Annual Blood Drive April 10

Every unit of blood collected at Owsley County High School this Friday goes directly into the regional supply that emergency rooms draw on for trauma cases, surgeries, and the chronic condition treatment that cancer and anemia patients depend on week to week. The OCHS Beta Club is running its second annual blood drive on April 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and organizer Jessica Brewer is accepting appointment requests from community members now.

For a rural county like Owsley, where permanent donation sites are scarce and regional blood banks depend heavily on periodic community drives to maintain inventory, a single high school event carries real weight. The first annual drive established the local logistics and community trust that made this year's repeat possible, and organizers are expecting both student and community turnout to build on that foundation.

Community donors can contact Jessica Brewer directly to schedule a specific appointment time or simply arrive at Owsley County High School during the posted hours. Students are signing up through their lunch periods this week. Anyone planning to donate should bring a photo ID, eat a full meal and hydrate well beforehand, and review eligibility requirements with the blood collection partner in advance. Common disqualifications include certain medications, recent international travel, and low iron.

The Beta Club, a national honor and service organization, built the drive into its annual service calendar. For the students staffing and coordinating the event, it doubles as hands-on civic education, from managing donor appointments to working alongside the regional collection team that supplies the mobile unit.

Owsley County's size means every donor who walks through the door Friday registers as a meaningful contribution. Even a modest turnout translates directly to units that could supply a local emergency or sustain patients at a regional facility through the coming weeks.