Morrison

For over 25 years, Morrison High School Key Club’s largest and most anticipated service activity has been hosting annual blood drives. For the past 15 years, the organization has hosted two blood drives annually: the spring drive, which takes place at Morrison High School, and the summer drive, which normally takes place at Emmanuel Church in Morrison.

Key Club, MHS’s longest-running service organization, utilizes student volunteers to organize and host the drive for ImpactLife, formerly Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, of the Quad Cities. Students recruit donors, help organize supplies, and plan for the drive. On the day of the drive, student volunteers help check in donors, provide donor support, and hand out post-donation snacks. MHS Key Club has smashed their donation goals with both of their last blood drives. The spring drive, held at MHS on March 23, 2022, began with a goal of 22 units of blood, but ended with 29 total units being collected. The summer drive, held at Emmanuel Church in Morrison on July 20, 2022, had a goal of 14 collected units. This goal was almost doubled, with a total of 24 units collected. Although the main draw for these events is community service, student volunteers and donors are also drawn to helping at the drives for the opportunity to receive the Gallon Grad award upon graduation. There are numerous ways that students can earn this award, including, but not limited to, organizing and hosting a drive themselves, donating a gallon of blood total throughout their high school career, or volunteering enough hours at blood drives.

MHS Key Club is looking forward to this year’s spring drive, which will be held in March of 2023. n

24 Pride 2022/23

WORKMAN HEATING & COOLING

SERVING THE SAUK VALLEY AREA SINCE 1949!

(815)772-2010

15825 Lincoln Rd., Morrison

The Morrison High School Key Club, working in partnership with the Morrison Kiwanis Club, concluded a successful season of Sandwich Sales on Oct. 1. Typically held on a parcel of land adjacent to the intersection of Route 30 and Route 78/Cherry Street in Morrison, the eight Sandwich Sales between May and October 2022 — staffed by a combination of Kiwanis Club members and Morrison High School Key Club members — featured ribeye sandwiches, pork chops, hot dogs, brats, snacks, and soft drinks.

Morrison Kiwanis Club President Steve Davis and other Kiwanis members managed the grill, and Key Club members and other Morrison High School student volunteers prepared the sandwiches during each Sandwich Sale.

Proceeds from the Sandwich Sales benefit the Morrison Kiwanis Club’s projects, including financial support for April House, two scholarships for graduating Morrison High School students each year, therapeutic horse riding through WHOA, Morrison Day Care, Morrison Little League Baseball and Softball, Morrison Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the United Way LIFE program, Odell Library, the Morrison High School Key Club, the Morrison Historical Society, and the Morrison Food Pantry.

Key Club wishes to thank Morrison High School’s varsity and fresh/soph football players, supervised and mentored by Coach Steve Snider, for their outstanding volunteer work during the Sandwich Sales throughout the summer and during the fall 2022 semester.

Key Club also wishes to thank the hundreds of Morrison residents and visitors who purchased items during the Sandwich Sales this year. Without their support, the Morrison Kiwanis Club’s financial support for organizations and programs that benefit youth would not be possible. n

Pride 2022/23 25

Morrison High School hosted its fourth annual College and Career Fair on Oct. 19, an event that provides links to careers in Whiteside County and beyond.

Students visited with reps from 10 colleges, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), three branches of the armed forces, and learned about career opportunities during the College and Career Fair.

Training Director Curt Determan from the Mid-America Carpenters Regional

Council Apprentice & Training Program (Quad Cities

Campus) shared information about careers in the building trades. The scale model of a woodframe house drew students to the table during the event. MHS Class of 2022 alumnus and active-duty soldier Owen Hayenga and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steven Brown discussed career opportunities in the U.S. Army. Pictured at left is MHS science teacher Kerry Grim.

Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 reps Ben Carpenter (center) and Chuck McKnight (right) fielded questions from MHS staff and students.