Mendham: HS Service Club Wants Your Blood

Mendham High School's Service Club just finished raiding your pantry, and now they want your blood. But as part of the annual blood drive to benefit the Blood Center of New Jersey, that should come as no surprise to the Mendham community.

“I think we are successful with the annual events because they become tradition and the students look forward to them,” said Jennifer Brown., one of the club’s advisors.  “And the students make up I would say 80% of the blood drive’s turnout.

While the folks within the school’s sphere of influence have been receptive, trying to get the word out to the broader community has been a challenge. “ said Russ Raffay, the other advisor overseeing the drive. “We’ve been lucky because our slots are generally full but we always need more.”

A big benefit of the drive for the community is VIP treatment upon arrival. “We try to push community members to the front of the line,” Brown said. “And we do have long lines.”

“The kids don’t mind the long lines,” Raffay added.

Knowing how responsive the community has been to the club’s service efforts has been, Brown hopes that the residents beyond the school circle get wind of the drive. “Most of our community donors are parents of the students, so I think the rest of the community might not be aware,” Brown said. “Because anytime we do anything I am always blown away by the level of support and generosity I see coming out these towns.”

Note: The PDF with this story has a release form for students 16 years of age. All who donate must bring ID.