A recognition of top-contributing schools to a blood drive included a Chandler high school.

Basha earned the “Randy Johnson Award” on a list of Vitalant’s division champions in its 2025-26 High School Blood Drive Challenge.

Teens are Arizona’s largest blood donor group for the 21st consecutive year with 18,077 donations, according to a Vitalant press release, accounting for one-sixth of the state’s donated blood.

The donations came from Basha and 185 other campuses across the state. The program was established more than 40 years ago to recognize excellence among student blood drive organizers and to inspire Arizona’s youth to create a lifelong pattern of donating blood, the release states.

Last school year, students organized 477 blood drives, earning awards for 62 high schools, it states.

The top-donating schools were Highland High School in Gilbert, with 670 donations, and Ash Fork High School, which, by arranging more donations than students enrolled, had 445% participation.

Based on the number of donations, schools that earn bronze, silver, gold and platinum awards receive tickets to an Arizona Diamondbacks game to celebrate their accomplishments.

The division-winning schools, along with the top two schools that achieve the most total donations and highest percent participation, are formally recognized on the diamond at Chase Field during pre-game ceremonies.

Learn more at vitalant.org/AZHS.

Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@inusua.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.