Published: July 04, 2009 09:06 pm      

Carry on the spirit

Strong turnout of teens at Donorama was encouraging

It was refreshing to see local teens respond the way they did last week at the Beckley Donorama, a blood donation drive designed to highlight a new state law allowing 16-year-olds to donate blood with parental consent.

All too often today we hear that teens are too wrapped up in themselves to become involved in community service, preferring music videos and computer games to beautification projects and charitable endeavors.

But then we hear about a young high school student organizing a relief drive for hurricane victims in Louisiana and others volunteering at nursing homes.

Last week’s blood drive at Crossroads Mall reinforced the belief that many teens out there – many more than you might think – want and are willing to help others. All they need is an opportunity to do so.

And this new state law certainly provides that.

There was not an empty seat in the room when Gov. Joe Manchin visited the first such blood drive for 16-year-olds in West Virginia.

“There’s more responsible youth that really want to be involved, that want to be able to help,” he said. “There is no better gift that they can give than blood. It is a tremendous opportunity for all West Virginians. I am not sure if other states are doing it or how many states are doing it. I am just so proud that we are doing it.”

The 16-year-olds who showed up to donate blood did so not for extra school credits or raises in their allowances. They did so to help others.

“I think it is important to give blood because you could end up saving someone’s life,” Oak Hill High School student Jerad Wolfe said. “I would love to have that kind of effect on somebody. I made this decision on my own … and I will definitely give again.”

That’s important as well. There will always be a need for blood.

Caring people have donated blood their entire adult lives. But as they age, they may not be able, for a variety of reasons, to give like they once did.

That’s true in a number of facets of community service. So it’s good to see that the next generation of adults is willing to carry on the spirit of giving.