BonnerSprings.com

Chris Throckmorton had his hands full Wednesday, Nov. 25, as he ran around the Bonner Springs YMCA trying to keep order at a blood drive he helped organize.

The Bonner Springs High School senior had no idea the event would get as big as it did, and he could hardly hold back his excitement as a flurry of activity took place around him.

“I can’t believe it,” he said as he looked around at the blood donors continuing to file in. “It took off as soon as it started.”

Throckmorton had worked with the Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Kan., to organize the blood drive as part of his senior project. While originally he was planning to learn how to play the acoustic guitar for the project, some technical problems securing the musical equipment led him to a more personally rewarding experience.

Once he took over the blood drive project, Throckmorton said it was his job to get the word out and make sure people showed up. Through hanging posters and telling everyone at school, Throckmorton said he worked hard to sign people up to donate.

“It’s important to donate because the need for blood is so great,” he said. “Every two seconds someone needs blood. In this one day, we could save 23 people.”

Throckmorton set out with a goal to get 35 people signed up for the drive, but come Wednesday, his clipboard was filled with 52 names.

“I’ve had a lot of fun doing it,” Throckmorton said of the experience. “I think it’s important. Most of (the donated blood) stays in the community, and it’s important to help the community out.”

An hour into the event, Shelly Muckerheide, field supervisor with the Community Blood Center, was asking YMCA staff for more room. She said she was hoping to get a collapsible wall, which divided two rooms, removed to make more space to set up additional beds as the donors continued to arrive.

“Chris really worked hard,” she said.

At previous blood drives at the YMCA, Muckerheide said there had been an average of 11 donors. Given the amount of activity at Throckmorton’s blood drive, she said, his goal of 35 would be a low estimate.

“It’s important for people to donate,” she said. “Especially this time of year. We’re always in need of more.”

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