Rotorua Boys' High students roll up their sleeves for community blood drive

Potentially life saving blood has been donated by Rotorua Boys' High School students as part of the school's annual blood donation day.

The New Zealand Blood Service spent half of last Tuesday based at the school hall.

School nurse Jacqui Guyton said 49 students were "brave warriors" who saved the lives of others in the community by donating blood.

"One unit of blood can be used for up to three people. This is one way that our students are able to give back to the community," Mrs Guyton said.

"This is our third year holding a blood donation day here at Rotorua Boys' High School and we hope to continue it on a yearly basis so our students can become regular donors."

Deputy head boy Nathan Kenah was among the many who gave blood.

"It's for a good cause to potentially save someone's life and help others who are in need," he said.

"It shows good support for the community. It's not just for those in emergency situations like a car crash but those who are unwell, like our Year 13 dean, Mrs Mudge, so it's really good for the boys to be able to help her and others out as well."

Year 13 prefect Nikora Wade also donated. The aspiring medical student said it was important he and his fellow students were able to donate.

Steve Dalgety, New Zealand Blood Services' recruitment team leader for Waikato/Bay of Plenty, said the organisation set up physically each year at Rotorua Boys High School, Western Heights and John Paul College to host blood drives.

"We would like to become more actively involved in more locals schools. We can only actively encourage students donating once a year due to their age, so we come to the schools here in Rotorua every 12 months. We typically go to schools between March and the middle of September."

Mr Dalgety said the organisation was encouraging youth, and Maori, to get involved.

"Nationally we have loyal donors, which is fantastic, but it means we get an ageing database. We are really trying to encourage youth because they will be sustaining our donors into the future. If they are donating from the ages of 16, 17 and 18 to the age of say, 60, that would be a great situation."

The minimum age to give blood is 16.

Mr Dalgety said a "very low" percentage of donors were Maori for a variety of reasons.

"It's due to education, sometimes due to cultural beliefs. We also want to try and encourage Maori to be bone marrow donors."

At each school it went to Mr Dalgety said it aimed to collect blood from 50 people, with teachers able to donate as well.

He said aside from the school drive, the New Zealand Blood Service came to Rotorua once a month.

"We come the third week of each month for two days, on Monday from 1pm to 7pm, and Tuesday from 8am to 1pm."

The collection venue was recently changed to the Distinction Hotel.