Neighbor News
Woodlands Academy to host memorial blood drive Sept. 15
Woodlands Academy is hosting an American Red Cross community blood drive in the Gloria Dei Center on the school's campus in Lake Forest.
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive on Monday, Sept. 15, from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Gloria Dei Center on the school’s campus, 760 E. Westleigh Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045.
For the second consecutive year, this event is being coordinated in honor and memory of Sister Patsy Reiss, a beloved presence at both Woodlands and the formerly adjoining Barat College for many years. (The Gloria Dei Center is the college’s repurposed library building, which stands as the lone remaining Barat campus structure.)
Reiss – who passed away Aug. 11, 2024, in Albany, New York, at age 88 – was an avid blood donor. As campus minister at Barat College, Reiss organized an annual blood drive and spent the days leading up to it stressing the importance of student and staff participation. “You must give blood. It is so important,” she would say.
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As one Barat graduate recalls: “When I was a freshman, I was very nervous about giving blood. Sister Patsy sat next to me and held my hand the whole time. I think of her every time I give blood.”
According to the American Red Cross, donating blood can make a big difference in a small way. Every pint of donated blood can save up to three lives. While someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds, less than 10 percent of people who can donate do so.
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In addition, donating at this blood drive can help one or more graduating seniors earn a scholarship.
Appointments are preferred to participate in Woodlands Academy’s Sept. 15 blood drive. To register, or for more information, visit rcblood.org/3T86Ncg.
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Founded in 1858, Woodlands Academy is a Catholic, independent college-preparatory day-and-boarding high school for young women. It’s part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries. A nonprofit, Woodlands Academy’s identity is rooted in Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat’s desire to inspire young hearts and minds to excel, to lead lives of integrity and to serve. For more information about Woodlands Academy, please visit www.woodlandsacademy.org
