Kenosha Tremper goes on with blood drive despite coronavirus concerns

KENOSHA -- At one of the biggest student-led blood drives in the state, Kenosha Tremper students and the community came together Thursday, March 12, regardless of coronavirus fears.

Ashley Duvall

"It's a pretty simple process," Ashley Duvall said. "It's not bad. The worst thing is getting the needle in, and then after that, you're just waiting for the bag to fill up, and then you're done."

The annual blood drive teamed up with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin and the concern of the coronavirus led to some chairs going empty, according to organizers.

"We had a lot of people calling us and saying, 'Are you still having it? Do you still want me to come? Is it still safe?'" said Aly Deoessler, the event coordinator of the drive.

Aly Doessler

Thomas Abshire of Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin said the high school and community made a big difference Thursday.

Volunteers with the Tremper blood drive

"The high school and the community, bringing the two organizations together to produce a result of probably six to 700 red cell units of blood today," Abshire said.

With the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, Blood Center officials said they expected donations to decline. If you're healthy, you're asked to donate.

"I like to do this just to be able to help anybody who might need it," Duvall said.

CLICK HERE to learn more about blood donation opportunities with Versiti.