Blood Assurance established the Crystal Green Memorial Scholarship fund for high school students dedicated to serving the needs of their community. The program offers a total of 12 one-year scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each. The scholarship was created in memory of Crystal Green, a young woman who lost her life in a battle to aplastic anemia. Aplastic anemia is a rare condition that occurs when the body no longer produces enough new blood cells and leads to a higher risk of uncontrolled bleeding and infections.
“Crystal Green was an incredible young woman who set an example of strength, kindness and care,” said Jay Baumgardner, executive director for marketing and community relations. “Blood Assurance is dedicated to serving the needs of each community, and the Crystal Green Memorial Scholarship is one way we are able to accomplish that. We encourage students to apply for this scholarship in order to continue their education after high school.”
Ms. Green, who graduated from Dade County High School in Trenton, was a student at Georgia Southern University before suffering a setback with aplastic anemia. After hundreds of hours receiving platelet transfusions and a bone marrow transplant, Ms. Green lost her long battle in Nov. 1998, shortly after turning 21. In her honor, Blood Assurance established the scholarship fund in 1999.
Students must complete the online application process and attend a “Project Lifesaver” high school in one of the five states served by Blood Assurance, which include Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia. The completed applications must be submitted online by Feb. 1, 2018.
To find out more information about the Crystal Green Memorial Scholarship and to apply online, visit www.bloodassurance.org/youth-programs.
All donors who give in December will receive a long-sleeved “Oh, What Fun it is to Give” t-shirt; donors 18 years or older will be entered into a drawing to win a KitchenAid Mixer Prize Pack.
To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 18 years old (16 and 17 years old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids — avoiding caffeine — and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating. To schedule an appointment at a donor center or blood drive near you, visit www.bloodassurance.org, call 800-962-0628 or text ‘BAGIVE ‘ to 444999.