The Five Star Bank was honored by the American Red Cross in the Finger Lakes

for its support of the annual

Tyler praised Five Star Bank, which has sponsored the Mega Drive blood drive for the

past 17 years.

     “We are so grateful to have Five Star Bank as one of our corporate sponsors, Tyler

said. “The Mega Drive is the largest single blood drive in the chapter. It collects 200 to

300 units of blood in one day.”

     “We would be hard pressed to do justice to the total contribution that Five Star

Bank makes,” said Tom Crocker, vice chair of the Red Cross Board, in presenting the

award to Mike Rusinko, Five Star Vice President and April Mollenkopf, Geneva branch

manager. Crocker said the bank and its “employees faithfully serve on the planning

committee that meets for several months prior to the drive itself. They pay for print

advertising, do radio spots and put flyers with information in the statements that go to

everyone who has an account with the bank. They help get hundreds of cookies for

donors and pay for lunch for the staff and volunteers from the blood region – 30 to 40

people. Bank employees recruit donors and even staff the registration desk the day of the

drive. “And to finish with a flourish, the bank provided a $500 savings bond to one lucky

donor, ” Crocker concluded.

     In appreciation, the Red Cross presented the bank an AED station and a certificate

for CPR training.

     “Like blood, we hope you will never have to use them,” Crocker said, “but like

blood, we want it available if it is ever needed.”

     Four high schools also were presented scholarships by the New York-Penn Blood

Region for their successful blood drives during the academic year.

     For the second year in a row, Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES Tech Center earned a

$400 scholarship. The school, which has an enrollment of 450 students, held seven blood

drives and collected 311 units of blood, a participation rate of more than 69 percent.

     During the past three years, BOCES students have contributed 748 units, under the

direction of Dee Abbott, nurse teacher.

     DeSales High School students earned a $250 scholarship. The school hosted two

blood drives and collected 30 units from its enrollment of 61 students. This is only the

second year DeSales has held a blood drive and it collected 30 units both years – half the

student population!

     Geneva High School received a $350 scholarship. Its three blood drives gathered

140 units from 463 students, meeting their collection goals despite more challenging

eligibility guidelines.

     Romulus High School earned a $250 scholarship. Romulus has an enrollment of

99 students and collected 75 units of blood, an increase over last year.

     “Studies and our own observations show that the best and most enduring habits

start when we are young,” said blood services account manager Melissa Piecuch. “The

encouragement of our peers and the example of those older can combine to be a strong

motivating force and over time, a way of life.”