Palmerton Area High School recently held its annual blood drive, emphasizing community engagement and the importance of giving back.

The event is now organized by math teacher Alex Knoll after Carol Andrews, who coordinated the initiative for many years, retired a few years ago.

Knoll, who has since taken the reins, described the blood drive as “a great opportunity for the kids to give back to the community” and a way to instill in them the value of becoming lifelong blood donors.

“These donations are definitely helping to save lives,” he said.

This year’s blood drive offered 48 time slots, all of which were filled by staff and students. Students age 16 or older were eligible to donate.

To prepare, Knoll said, the school hosted an assembly to inform students about the process and requirements, ensuring they had time to secure parental consent.

According to Knoll, the school’s efforts aim to teach students about the critical need for blood donations and their impact.

“Some people need blood donations for various diseases or because they were involved in an accident,” he said. “This is a great way that we all, as citizens, help each other out.”

According to the Miller-Keystone Blood Center, it needs over 100,000 units of blood each year to help save patients in local hospitals. That equates to 350 donors every day.