NS seniors organize blood drive at Heights Fire Co.
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTO - North Schuylkill seniors Nathan Kowalishen, left, and Shawn Sosnoski, right, with Heights Fire Co. apparatus and a Miller-Keystone bloodmobile.
By Kaylee Lindenmuth | [email protected]
SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS – For two North Schuylkill seniors, their senior project today will help save lives, all in memory of a fire chief’s son who passed away in June.
Nathan Kowalishen, Frackville, and Shawn Sosnoski, Girardville, organized a blood drive held at the Shenandoah Heights Fire Company in conjunction with Miller-Keystone Blood Centers.
The blood drive, which had about 16 donors by 1:00pm, was held in memory of Liam John Gilbert, son of Joseph and Mariana Gilbert, both of Ringtown. Liam passed away on June 14 at the age of seven months.
”They [the fire company] gave us the idea to do the blood drive, and then I heard about the passing of Ringtown’s chief’s son, so I thought it’d be a good idea to dedicate it to him and and I thought it’d raise a lot of awareness,” said Kowalishen. “I asked them, and they said they’ve always wanted to do a blood drive so I thought it’d be a good senior project to do.
Kowalishen and Sosnoski organized the event with the assistance of Miller-Keystone and the fire company. A registration table and refreshments were served, and the blood drive itself was conducted in a mobile blood center behind the fire company.
“We met with a lady from Miller-Keystone, she set us all up, she told us what to do, and we did all the labor work,” said Kowalishen.
”[Organizing the event] helped us see what we could do to help the community instead of just watching what’s happening in the community,” said Sosnoski.
Donuts and pizza were provided to blood donors, courtesy of Boran’s Cobblestone Bakery, Shenandoah.
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