Gallon Grad Program
Overview
High school blood donors are extremely important in supporting the needs of local hospitals and patients. In fact, high school blood donors account for as much as 10% of The Community Blood Center’s overall blood donations.
So what is the Gallon Grad program? This unique program is about more than just blood donation. It’s about helping others understand why blood donation is so important and to encourage others to make it a lifesaving habit as well. More blood donors means that we can help more patients. High school students join Gallon Grad as a way to give back to their community through donating, volunteering or encouraging others to donate.
In short, it’s both the first step in creating a life-long passion for blood donation and an opportunity to reward high school students who play a critical role in supporting their local community.
What do you receive if you complete the Gallon Grad requirements?
In addition to the satisfaction of saving lives, those who complete the program will receive:
- A distinctive cord or pin to wear at their high school graduation
- A certificate recognizing their achievement as a Gallon Grad
- Recognition at their high school awards ceremony
Requirements
The Gallon Grad program is available to students enrolled at one of our partner high schools. Gallon Grad students must complete two of the following requirements over the course of their high school career (students may complete the donate and recruit requirement twice):
|
|
|
*new donors are defined as haven’t donated in two years
|
|
One stop to achieve Gallon Grad: Host a blood drive! |
Host a blood drive to automatically fulfill the Gallon Grad requirements. Work with a CBC representative for all details, including meeting minimum requirements for a successful blood drive. Contact us to get started!
What are the options to meet the volunteer requirement?
To meet the volunteer requirements, students can volunteer with their high school blood drive, a community blood drive, or at a donor center. Students can also complete one of the following items for completion of the volunteer requirement:
Donor story
- Answer a brief questionnaire and submit a picture of yourself for CBC to use in promoting the importance of high school blood donors. This may be used on the CBC website, in marketing materials or on social media.
- When completed, please submit the required documents to student@communityblood.org.
Questionnaire
- Please answer all of the following in 3-5 sentences each:
- Why did you choose to start donating with The Community Blood Center?
- How does it feel to help people who are undergoing cancer treatments or need heart surgery?
- How does it feel to know that you’re making a difference in the lives of people in your community?
- What would you say to someone who has never donated blood before?
- Do you know anyone who needs or has received blood or blood products?
- How long have you been a donor?
- Where do you normally donate?
- How do you stay involved in the community and your school?
- What are some of your hobbies?
- What are your plans after high school?
Model Release Form must also be completed and returned.
Social media advocate
Requirements:
- What: post about blood donation, share a CBC post, or tag CBC in a minimum of 10 posts.
- When: Spread out over the academic year (1-2 posts every month), and must be completed by May 1.
- Where: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn. Please tag The Community Blood Center in your post.
- Once you completed the required minimums, screenshot your posts and put them into one document. Submit this document to student@communityblood.org. Once these items are received the marketing department will track and enter these as your volunteer hours in the Gallon Grad portal.
Ready to get started?
Visit the Gallon Grad portal page, create a profile and begin logging your achievements!
Visit the Gallon Grad PortalHave questions? Visit the FAQ section.