SIDNEY – Fairlawn High School senior Trey Sparks has won a $1,000 Red Cord Honor Graduate Award from Solvita Blood Center for his dedication to donating blood during his high school years.

The Solvita Red Cord Honor program recognizes high school seniors who have registered to donate three or more times during their high school years. The Red Cord Award goes to seven Red Cord Honor graduates, each representing one of seven regions across the Solvita 18-county service area of western Ohio and eastern Indian.

All seniors who qualified to receive the Red Cord were entered in the award drawing for their respective region. They received additional entries in the drawing for each time they registered to donate beyond the three registrations minimum.

Fairlawn High School Red Cord Award winner Trey Sparks qualified to receive the Red Cord by making three lifetime donations. “I wanted to help out,” Sparks said. “I did not know about the award. I had no idea. It was a big surprise!”

Sparks plans to study environmental science at Wilmington College and said the award will help with school expenses.

“I’ve always liked environmental sciences, especially the hatchlings side of it. I really want a career in that,” Sparks said.

Sparks was an FAA member at Fairlawn High and competed in soccer, track, and basketball.

Blood drive coordinator Tara Berning teaches Family and Consumer Sciences and has had Sparks as a student for six years.

“I’m so super excited,” Berning said about one her donors winning the Red Cord Award. “They’re so aware of how important giving blood is, and they can also get other things out of it.”

Fairlawn High hosted two blood drives totaling 92 donors, 77 donations, and 30 first-time donors.