CAMDEN — Preble Shawnee High School senior and first-time blood donor Trevor Smith was the winner of the first monthly drawing for a pair of Beats headphones in the Community Blood Center “Get Loud! Rock & Roll Up Your Sleeve & Donate Blood” high school blood drive campaign.
All high school donors are entered into the Beats headphone drawing when they register to donate at their high school blood drive. The Preble Shawnee High blood drive on Sept. 29 totaled 44 donors and Smith was one of 21 first-time donors.
“I was not going to do it,” said Smith, “but a friend of mine, Tavian Sullivan, gave me a Fruit Roll-Up, so I decided to do it. I’ll do it again. I’m happy I won. I had no clue! My friends were saying, ‘You’re going to win,’ and I said, ‘No shot, no shot.’”
Smith might have suspected it would be his lucky day when his classmates sang “Happy Birthday” in recognition of his birthday coming up the following Saturday.
Preble Shawnee Guidance Counselor Ami Stevenson, advisor for the blood drive sponsor National Honor Society, called NHS volunteers and blood donors together in the auditorium to announce the Beats winner.
“Anytime they can get something or have the opportunity to win something for giving, they are usually all in,” said Stephenson. “Our community is really giving, and I think that translates down to the kids in a lot of ways.”
The “Get Loud!” campaign got off to a strong start in September with 22 high school blood drives and 886 donors, including 470 first time donors, according to CBC officials. There will be new drawings to win Beats headphones every month of the school year.
Preble Shawnee will hold its next blood drive in May.
“I’ve done it before and I can do it again!” said Smith.
