Hewitt Hosts 10th Annual Blood Drive

Ten years ago, the Parent Teacher Association conducted a blood drive to help a local child with Leukemia. A decade later, that young boy has since become cancer free, and the PTA has continued its drive to save lives, the last drive being on Saturday, Dec. 4.

Dianne Robinson, chairman of Hewitt's blood drive, said that as of noon on Saturday, more than 100 residents had donated blood — the drive was held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — and the goal was to reach 200 pints of blood. She said last year's drive collected 146 pints.

"This is just a drive we've been doing to give back to the community and support those who need blood," Robinson said.

She added that the New York Blood Center, who helped host the drive, runs a program called "Our Little Doctor" at Hewitt and Wilson Elementary school, where they educate fifth-graders on how their bodies work and encourage them to each ask ten people to donate during the drive.

Matt Conroy, 41, was one of those parents whose child asked them to donate blood. Conroy's donated two or three times in the past, he said, and sees giving blood as essential. "There's just a lot of need out there, and they can't make blood," he said.

Robinson noted that even if they didn't reach their goal, one pint of blood can save up to three lives.

Debbie Pandulfo, 44, said that even though this was the second time she's given blood, it was her child who gave her the extra push to donate this time. "Every year, I say I'm going to do it, and my kid goes here, so I decided to do it," she said. "They say every blood type can save lives. It's our civic duty."