Tappan Zee HS Wins NY Blood Center Championship

Superstorms, flooding and sizzling heat are no match for the Tappan Zee High School Blood Team. 

Their dedication to their mission of providing needed blood supplies won them the New York Blood Center’s Championship for the third year in a row. 

The team collected a total of 468 units of blood for the 2012-13 year, beating last year’s total of 319. 

Though neighbors were still suffering without power and dealing with damage from Superstorm Sandy in addition to schools being closed for five days—the Tappan Zee Blood Team held a drive to aid New York Blood Center’s need for blood collecting more than 204 units. 

The team also worked with the community and emergency responders to collect 155 units of blood after major flooding from a rainstorm that caused damage in communities throughout the state. 

The South Orangetown Ambulance Corp. and local firefighters came to the rescue of the Tappan Zee High School Blood Team during their third drive when temperatures hit 93 degrees outside and 88.6 degrees inside. 

The law requires that donation centers operate at 85 degrees or below. The two groups quickly brought over fans, portable air conditioners and ice, but this only brought the temperature down to 86.5 degrees.

The group then realized that the auditorium was an air-conditioned space that and immediately began loading chairs, tables and beds and all the other equipment onto racks and into elevators to re-locate the drive upstairs.

New signs were posted and an e-mail blast was sent out to the community to advise them of the venue change. Despite the obstacles, 109 units of blood were donated that day.

The Tappan Zee High School Blood Team looks forward to exceeding this year’s total next year.