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Family Focus: Local student encouraging blood donations

CONCORD, N.C. — Local students may win a scholarship by helping to save lives with blood donations.

It's not just about donating their own blood. The students have to hold blood drives in their communities.

Ethan Harrison, 17, had his eye on the prize as he helped set up a blood drive he organized in Concord.

"I think I have a good chance at winning it," Harrison said.

He hopes to win a $1,000 scholarship from the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas.

"(It's) pretty important. School is not cheap," Harrison said.

The A.L. Brown High School student wants to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

CBCC's Holiday Heroes Scholarship is available for high school and college students who'll be home for the holidays.

To qualify, students must choose a blood drive location, recruit friends and family to donate and collect a minimum of 25 units of blood.

Harrison said organizing the event wasn't easy.

"Probably the hardest part was getting people to commit to giving blood, and we've been doing that up 'til the last day," Harrison said.

He used social media to spread the word and his mom helped too.

Sarah Harrison is excited to see her son take initiative on this project.

"I'm proud of Ethan doing this because it's going to help the community," Sarah Harrison said.

CBCC said its regional blood supply runs low during the holidays when kids are out of school. Students make up more than 20 percent of its donor base. That's why help from teens such as Ethan Harrison is so crucial.

"I thought it'd be a good way to give back to the community. This community has done a lot for me," Harrison said.

To be eligible, students must host their blood drive with CBCC between Nov. 18 and 25 or between Dec. 22 and Jan. 6.

For questions or to register for the Holiday Heroes Scholarship program, contact Kim Jones at 704-972-4727 or at KLJones@cbcc.us.

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