MURRAY, Utah (ABC4 Utah) – The Red Cross of Utah is proud to recognize the extraordinary efforts of local high school students who are hosting blood drives during school breaks through the Leaders Save Lives program. These students have the opportunity to earn gift cards, volunteer hours, and scholarships while helping collect much-needed blood for patients. Among them is Emily Arvizo whose dedication to saving lives earned her a $1,000 scholarship for organizing a successful blood drive in December.

Leaders Save Lives is always looking for more students to sign up and host a blood drive to help the community and learn more about giving back the community and potentially earn a scholarship for college.

• There are two time periods for Leaders Save Lives. Summer: June 1 to Aug. 31 and Winter: Dec. 15 to Jan. 15.
• Must be a current High School or College student.
• If the drive collects 25 units of blood or more, the student will earn a gift card and be eligible for a college scholarship.
• Details about the program are available at redcrossblood.org/LeadersSaveLives.

The holidays bring a unique challenge as blood demand coincides with lower donations due to vacations, school breaks and winter illnesses. Severe weather in some areas can also disrupt blood drives, further impacting supply. To help, donors can schedule an appointment using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).