The American Red Cross had a blood drive Friday at the Tonganoxie High School multi-purpose center. The THS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America sponsored the one-day event, which accumulated 69 units of blood. The Red Cross usually sets a goal of between 60 and 70 units of blood per drive.

“We had a lot of student body participation,” FCCLA sponsor Pam Lamb said Friday. “Quite a few community people stopped in.”

Junior Holly Casper proposed the idea for the group’s first blood drive.

“After everything that happened September 11, there was a need for blood,” Casper said.

The drive is one of a few community events the group takes part in.

The Tonganoxie FCCLA also visits the Tonganoxie Nursing Home in February and participates in a trick-or-treat food drive in October. The organization also adopts a family for the Good Shepherd Thrift Store annually and volunteers at a soup kitchen.

Casper hopes the blood drive will be an annual event as well.

“I’d really like to keep this up,” Casper said.