High School Hero Cord Program
Our students understand the meaning of community!
Our objective is to ready young adults into becoming responsible individuals who contribute to our community by ensuring a safe and stable blood supply.
Today’s high school students are tomorrow’s lifesavers, and we need them to become life-long blood donors. This program is designed to recognize seniors at their graduation ceremony for being a life-saving blood donor, and to honor them for making significant contributions to our community.
Application for the 2020-21 High School Cord Program will open in February 2021!
Application for the 2018-19 High School Cord Program will begin February 1, 2019.
Each student who qualifies will receive a Certificate and red Recognition Cord.
Note: select schools participate in the Certificate Program, but not the CORD.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Your MKBC Account Manager
1-800-B-A-DONOR
How the CORD Recognition Program works:
There are 2 ways to earn your CORD:
- Donating Three (3) Or More Times During High School Career
- Students 16 years of age and older must register to donate blood three (3) or more times during their high school career.
- Donors must be 16 years of age or older. State law requires written consent by a parent or guardian for 16-year-olds to donate blood.
- Persons 17 years of age or older (or certain emancipated minors) may donate without consent of a parent or guardian (unless required by their high school).
- Donations can be made at high school blood drives, community blood drives, or at one of Miller-Keystone’s donor centers.
- Students 16 years of age and older must register to donate blood three (3) or more times during their high school career.
- Volunteer Three (3) Or More Times During High School Career
- VOLUNTEERING: Students who are ineligible to give blood may still participate in the Cord Recognition Program by volunteering to assist on a minimum of three (3) blood drives during their high school career.
- As a volunteer they may recruit donors (documented e-blasts, sign up donors, promote the blood drive by student announcement PSA, put up posters and/or distribute flyers if allowed by the school, etc.), become donor aides, or work in the canteen at their designated school blood drive.
- Volunteer hours must be approved and verified by a school sponsor.
*** Due to the COVID19 pandemic, CORD recognition requirements for the 2020-21 academic year have been
changed to three (3) donations or (3) volunteer activities; deadline remains May 15. ***
Additional Requirements
- Blood donation and volunteer hours cannot be combined – qualified cord recipients must have donated blood at least 3 times OR volunteered at least 3 times. Unfortunately we are unable to accept a combination of these two activities.
- Graduating seniors must fulfill these requirements by May 15 or their high school awards event, whichever comes first.
- Miller-Keystone Blood Center and the participating high schools will work closely together to identify all graduating students eligible for the Cord and/or Certificate.
- The student’s high school must participate in the Cord Recognition Program in order to receive the Cord and/or Certificate for graduation. Click here to see participating schools.