Spreading the word with art

To help fight a national blood emergency, the Seaford community came together last weekend to raise awareness of the importance of giving blood — and to donate.

On Saturday, the Lions Club hosted its annual community blood drive at Seaford High School. The district’s Harbor and Manor elementary school PTAs co-sponsored the event in a joint effort to encourage blood donations during an ongoing nationwide shortage. According to the New York Blood Center, a low winter turnout has left it with no more than a two-day supply of blood, and the center made an emergency plea last month to encourage people to donate.

To promote the Seaford drive, the Lions and PTAs organized their annual poster contest, in which students in kindergarten through fifth grade at the elementary schools created posters that were displayed at local businesses to raise awareness of the need for blood.

For Lions President George Brennan, it’s important to bring the community together to donate blood.

“It’s our mission, with the help of the children from the community, to raise awareness that blood is important to donate,” Brennan said, “and it’s important to understand why we donate and where it goes.”

During the drive, New York Blood Center technicians screened donors for anemia and checked their blood pressure before they gave blood. According to Brennan, one unit — or pint — of blood is enough to save the lives of three people.

He added that the Seaford drive has traditionally been one of the largest in the state. Over the past 15 years, Brennan said, the event has collected over 3,500 pints, enough to save over 10,000 lives. Some 116 units were collected last weekend.

“That’s the impact of just one blood drive,” Brennan said. “One day. One community. Seaford is not about to let an emergency situation occur in our backyard.”

On Saturday, dozens of parents arrived with their kids to celebrate their contributions, and the first- and second-place prize winners in the poster contest in each grade were recognized in a ceremony. The posters were judged by a PTA committee, whose members noted whether the children kept to the theme, which was “Give with a Heart,” while also showing creativity and thoughtfulness. Each grade in the Harbor and Manor schools had a first-place prize of $20, while second place received $10.

Diana Amira, a Harbor PTA member and blood drive coordinator, said that kids love helping encourage people to donate, and look forward to the contest each year.

“It feels really exciting to know that I’m a part of something,” Charlotte Ickowicz, who won first prize in Harbor’s fifth grade, said.

Harbor PTA member Kelly Kern said the Seaford students enjoy creating artwork to bring attention to the need for blood.

“I think it’s great bringing awareness to all the kids,” Kern said, “and allowing them to learn more about the importance of the blood drive, how crucial it is to saving lives, and allowing them to express themselves through art to show what they’ve learned about it.”

Local elected leaders stopped by to thank the contest winners for promoting the drive with their artwork. “This community really comes together and steps up donations,” Hempstead Town Councilman Christopher Carini told the crowd. “Donations are really down throughout our state and throughout our country.”

Nassau County Legislator Michael Giangregorio said he was honored to speak with the children, and thanked them for spreading the word with their posters.

“This is a fine example of community coming together to support the good,” Giangregorio said.

Kelly Wolfson, the blood drive chair for the Lions Club, said the poster contest has helped draw attention to the blood drive for over 20 years, as parents have created a tradition of getting their children involved in promoting it.

“We’re just trying to keep that tradition going,” Wolfson said. “Seaford is a very giving community, so this is a good way to keep our traditions continuing.”

For more information on donating blood, visit the New York Blood Center’s website, nybc.org.