Burke Catholic High School hosts annual spring blood drive
Goshen. This year’s event honored the memory of a long-time math teacher.

From left: event co-captain Sienna Lee; Burke Catholic school nurse Kathleen Kish; Karl Wengenroth, brother of Louis Wengenroth; Event co-captain Gianna Tondo (Photo provided)

Burke Catholic High School's annual blood drive this year honored Mr. Louis Wengenroth IV, a former Burke Catholic math teacher who died in January.
Burke Catholic hosts two annual blood drives in partnership with the New York Blood Center. Seniors Gianna Tondo and Sienna Lee co-captained the event, working closely with school nurse Kathleen Kish.
“Burke has had its blood drive for many years, one in the fall and in the spring,” said Tondo. “We decided to dedicate this one to Mr. Wengenroth because he spread a whole bunch of joy during his time at Burke.”
Wengenroth was part of the Burke Catholic faculty for nearly 30 years, teaching math at every grade level including calculus and physics. Along with his enthusiasm for math, he was well-known for the heartfelt discussions and excited speeches he shared with students and colleagues. The Burke Catholic family welcomed students, staff and the public to attend and donate blood in his memory.
“We got around 80 students initially; I’m projecting we’re going to get at least a hundred,” said Lee. “A lot of the students — the second they find out we’re doing a blood drive — say, ‘Oh, I want to volunteer; what can I do?’ It just shows what we’re really all about, saving lives and helping people.”
“We have amazing compassionate students who, when they turn 16, come into my office and are so excited about being able to donate,” said Kish. “They’re helping people at a young age, and if they donate in high school, they’ll donate for life. Who else can say that by donating, they saved three lives today?”
Tondo and Lee also recognized the generosity of the many Goshen restaurants who provided food for donors and volunteers throughout the event: Dunkin’ of Goshen, Howell’s Sunflower Café, Roccoroma, El Rancho, Village Pizzeria and Limoncello at the Orange Inn.
To learn more about donating blood, go to http://nybc.org/donate-blood.