The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas’ (CBCC) is calling on area high school and college students to be heroes this holiday season!

To qualify for CBCC’s “Holiday Heroes” scholarship program, students must host a blood drive in their community sometime between Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016 and Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017; recruit friends, family and neighbors to donate blood; and collect at least 25 units. CBCC will award a $1,000 college scholarship to the student who collects the most units.

“Students play a key role in our blood collection efforts, so we’re excited to have an opportunity to engage and reward our students through scholarship programs like ‘Holiday Heroes’,” said Erica Potts, Manager, Recruitment and Retention of the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas. “The inability to host blood drives at high schools during winter break coupled with busy schedules, inclement weather and winter illnesses creates a significant need for blood during the holiday season. So, students and others in the community willing to host blood drives during the ‘giving’ season are heroes by helping save local lives.”

According to CBCC, students make up over 20 percent of its donor base. Through its commitment to supporting students and schools, CBCC has awarded more than 300 scholarships and grants since 2009. To learn more about the “Holiday Heroes” program, contact Kim Jones at 704-972-4727 or at KLJones@cbcc.us.

About Community Blood Center of the Carolinas

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is a non-profit community-based blood center and the primary blood supplier to 28 regional hospitals, serving approximately 30 counties throughout the Carolinas. CBCC focuses exclusively on gathering red blood cells, platelets and plasma from volunteer donors to save local lives here in the Carolinas. Every drop stays here, saving local lives. CBCC is a member of America’s Blood Centers, North America’s largest network of community-based, independent blood centers providing more than 50% of the nation’s blood supply.

For more information on hosting a blood drive or donating blood in your area, visit www.cbcc.us or call 704-972-4700.

Follow the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BloodCenter, on Instagram https://instagram.com/cbccarolinas/ and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBCCarolinas.