Students at Smithville Christian High are famous - for giving blood.

Students and teachers at the small independent school beat students at bigger Christian schools in Hamilton and London in the amount of blood they donated last year, said Marcia Young, Community Development Coordinator for Canadian Blood Services.

The St. Catharines chapter of Canadian Blood Services holds six blood donor clinics at the Smithville school every year, and last year more than half of eligible staff and students at the school gave blood, Young said at a recent chapel assembly.

Young presented Smithville Christian principal Ted Harris with a certificate of the school's accomplishment, and asked students to continue giving the gift of life.

SDCH Bible teacher Neale Robb compared the students' willingness to give up an hour of their time to save lives by donating blood, to the Christian message of Jesus' blood saving lives.

He asked students to invite their eligible siblings, friends and parents (healthy, over 18, no recent tattoos or piercings) to give blood, too.

The next blood donor clinic at the school, which is open to the public, is scheduled for October 10, from 3:30 to 8 p.m. To book an appointment call 1-888-2-Donate (1-888-236-6283).