Iowa’s Gallon Grad program sees changes

IOWA CITY - Since 2012, Solon High School has been the only place to bestow red cords upon some of its graduating seniors.

That will end this year, though, because Jenna Nearad of Prairie High School and Nicole VanErsvelde of Clear Creek-Amana High School have earned the Gallon Grad Award from the DeGowin Blood Center at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

The award - a red cord worn over the graduation gown - is given annually to graduating high schoolers who have donated eight pints of either whole blood or platelets.

The blood center's rules have changed since last year. Before, those under the age of 18 could donate whole blood every eight weeks. But Kerry DuBay, donor recruitment coordinator for DeGowin, said those under the age of 18 now only can give whole blood every 20 weeks.

'We want to make sure they have plenty of time to rebuild iron levels,” DuBay said. 'Younger donors are prone to lower iron levels, and platelets don't have red cells.”

Those who wish to qualify for the Gallon Grad Award now have to commit to donating platelets, DuBay said, since they only can start giving blood at the age of 16, with parental consent. Platelets can be given once a week.

'The Gallon Grads this year really embraced platelets,” DuBray said.

Nearad, who wants to be a firefighter, said she started donating last April.

'If I was in a situation where I needed blood, I'd like to know they had it,” she said.

DuBray said she's looking forward to going to additional schools this year to bestow the red cords, which are given out on senior awards nights.

She still will be going to Solon too, to give red cords to Trisha Coberly and Katy Misel.

An additional Solon High School student, meanwhile, earned her Gallon Grad Award in record time. Annelynn Broghammer is still only a junior, and won't receive her cord until next year.

'I started donating at the beginning of the school year,” Broghammer wrote in an email. 'I would have started donating earlier, but I am young for my grade.”

Broghammer said she was going in to DeGowin to donate platelets once a week for awhile, but she has decided to slow down a bit.

'Now I'm trying to get in more like once a month instead of once a week,” she wrote.

Broghammer said she learned about the Gallon Grad Award from a teacher, Todd Kopecky, 'who is definitely an advocate of this wonderful program.”

'I believe that is why so many people at my high school (Solon High School) try to do it,” she wrote.

VanErsvelde said vying for the Gallon Grad Award was a good way to get comfortable with giving blood. 'I was scared at first of the needles, and because I had never given before, I didn't know what to expect,” she said. 'It was like a roller coaster. I was really nervous once the needle was in but then I was fine, and when I was done I felt really good.”

VanErsvelde said taking part in the program was 'definitely worth it.”

'I feel super accomplished now. It was a good way to get started donating blood,” she said.

VanErsvelde, Nearad, Misel and Broghammer all said they intend to continue donating.

'It seems like such a simple task, that anyone could do over a lunch break, but to someone in need it really can be a matter of life and death,” Misel wrote in an email.