For the Progress-Times

East Webster High School's Student Council sponsored its first blood drive of the 2007-08 school year on Aug. 30.

The drive was a great success, with 25 units of blood collected. Those 25 included seven first-time donors. In order to donate blood, one must be at least 17 and weigh at least 110 pounds.

The Student Council thanks all the students, parents and faculty for helping make this drive a success. It also encourages anyone who meets the necessary requirements to think seriously about donating blood at the next two blood drives, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 13 and May 6 at EWHS.

According to the Red Cross' Web site, someone needs a pint of blood in the United States every two seconds, with more than 5 million people in the United States receiving a transfusion in any given year.

The site notes that only about 5 percent of those eligible to give blood give. According to the site, if eight percent of those eligible to give blood donated, there would not be any shortages of blood in the United States.