The American Red Cross estimates that roughly 99% of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only 3% of Americans regularly donate. Although blood drives are frequently held across the United States, many potential donors are unaware of how simple the process of giving blood truly is and how many lives it could save. Kathryn Davis, a resident of Willow Street and recent graduate of Lampeter-Strasburg High School, is spearheading a movement to show the community how almost anyone can become a hero by donating blood.

PhlebotomyFam began as a community service initiative Davis created as a contestant in the Miss Lancaster County scholarship pageant. Each candidate is required to design a service project as part of the competition, and Davis said she chose to raise awareness of donating blood due to the impact it's had in her life. Davis' mother, Jozlyn Grodski, frequently donated blood while Davis was growing up; Grodski and Davis would often make their trips to the blood bank into a fun outing that included getting lunch and visiting a nail salon together. Davis was also inspired to create PhlebotomyFam due to seeing the importance of blood transfusions firsthand after a car accident in 2021. While riding in a bus with 31 others on the way home from a youth group retreat, the driver experienced a stroke and lost control of the vehicle. Davis and a few other students only sustained minor injuries, but several other passengers would not have survived the crash without the blood transfusions they received while recovering in a hospital.

"My main goal is to save lives. I encourage other people to donate blood because it only takes a few minutes, and it makes such a big difference," said Davis. "There's a huge lack of awareness in the community right now of this awesome superpower that most of the population has."

Davis said she spreads her message by introducing the topic of blood donation into everyday conversations with friends and family. PhlebotomyFam is a platform Davis uses to reach a wider audience by maintaining social media accounts to highlight local blood drives, fun facts and general information about giving blood. "What I really appreciate about (PhlebotomyFam) is that it isn't trying to start new blood drives all the time," Grodski said. "We've noticed the issue isn't that there aren't enough blood drives; it's about making sure every slot is filled." Grodski and Davis often partner with Lancaster General Health (LGH) and the American Red Cross to not only highlight blood drives, but to make people aware of donation centers such as LGH that receive donations year-round. Grodski added that according to the American Red Cross, the national blood shortage would be solved if 1% more of the population donated blood.

Davis is currently using PhlebotomyFam to highlight the annual blood drive held in memory of Lampeter-Strasburg alumnus Ryan Smith. The event will take place from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at First Presbyterian Church of Strasburg, 101 S. Decatur St.

To learn more, search "PhlebotomyFam" on Facebook or Instagram.