Blood Donation Tech Amanda Hodge, right, prepares to draw blood from NISH sophomore Gracie Derise at Monday’s NISH blood drive.

“I don’t know what’s in the water, but the hemoglobin levels in New Iberia are awesome,” said Beverly Meche, recruiter for Our Lady of Lourdes Blood Donor Center. 

Perhaps that is what pushed New Iberia High School to its place as the number one blood donor among local schools last year. Students, parents and faculty were hard at work on Monday trying to retain that esteemed position. 

“We always like to do our part, and to teach the students and the young people about the good things they need to do is important,” NISH Principal Curt Landry said. “And we give them — they can win cash rewards. That seems to motivate them, to get a few more in,” he said. 

Meche said low hemoglobin levels are a common disqualifier at some schools, but not at NISH. Other disqualifiers can include high blood pressure, low weight and several communicable diseases. 

Dozens of students had moved through the process already by 10:30 a.m.

“We’ve had maybe 35 donors already,” Meche said, “and we didn’t start until 9 a.m.”

The drive was scheduled to end at 6 p.m. Donors left with a grey, cotton T-shirt that read: “My heart bleeds for UL Lafayette” with a football-helmeted blood droplet clutching a football and running. 

NISH junior Gilliam Guillot, 16, said he was donating for the first time “because it can help somebody out.”

Those sentiments were echoed by 18-year-old McKenzie Boutte, a senior at NISH.

“I just wanted to help people out,” Boutte said.

It was her first time as well. 

“The need for blood is always real,” Meche said. “And thanks to NISH and to Dennis (Boudreaux), this really helps get the blood supply up.”

Boudreaux is the cosponsor for the Beta Club, which helped bring the blood drive to the schools.

“You talk to victims that have needed blood, this is really the least we can do,” Landry said.

“The need is so strong. And a lot of people don’t know this, but less than 10 percent of Americans donate blood. This high school is great though. The students are really into it,” Meche said.