KBC Awards More Than $80,000 in Scholarships to Local Schools June 20, 2014

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky Blood Center has awarded $80,750 in The Power of Life scholarships to 107 Kentucky schools for students who will be studying at higher educational institutions this fall. The Power of Life scholarships range from $250 to $1,500 per student.

The seniors are from Kentucky high schools and vocational technical schools that hosted blood drives with KBC during the 2013-14 school year.

“KBC realizes the important role high school blood donors play in the healthcare of their communities. At high school drives last year students donated more than 9,000 life-saving blood components, and their generosity positively impacted the local blood supply,” said Bill Reed, KBC president and CEO. “We appreciate what they do for their communities, and we feel strongly that we should thank them for their efforts. That’s why we have been awarding these scholarships for the past few years.”

The Power of Life scholarship recipients and the amount of the awards are determined by the schools. The winner does not have to be a blood donor.

Power of Life scholarships are awarded each school year based on the units of blood donated at blood drives that each high school or vocational school sponsors. Schools can receive a one-time scholarship worth up to $3,000. The schools determine the scholarship recipients, and KBC pays the scholarship directly to the establishment of higher education.

KBC, the largest FDA regulated blood bank headquartered in Kentucky, is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring a safe, adequate blood supply for patients at nearly 70 Kentucky hospitals and clinics in more than 60 counties. KBC relies on volunteers to donate 400 pints of blood per day to meet area patients’ needs. Over the last year KBC distributed nearly 130,000 blood components. To schedule a donation or find a donation location, visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800.775.2522.