Medical beds were arranged inside buses outside of Gainesville High School on Monday, each bed occupied by a person with blood flowing from their arm to a blood bag below.

While the event appeared to be a standard blood drive, the students and faculty actually were engaged in a competition to save lives.

“I think we’re going to win. I have a lot of friends doing this,” said Gainesville senior Diana Laurean, who overcame a fear of needles to donate to LifeSouth Community Blood Centers.

LifeSouth initiated a donating challenge between Gainesville High School and Gainesville (Fla.) High School to see who could secure the most blood. At the final count, Gainesville collected 106 units, LifeSouth’s biggest drive at the high school in 3 1/2 years, said Michael Becker, district community development coordinator for LifeSouth Community Blood Center. Their Florida challengers will begin the blood drive Oct. 6.

Becker said because the organization is a nonprofit, with little money for marketing, the competition was a unique way to get students’ attention.

“We try to generate excitement for people to donate,” he said.

Becker said every donation, about 1 pint, saves three lives, and high school students provide a large percentage of blood supplied to local hospitals.

“Some of our most productive drives are with high schools,” Becker said. “Gainesville High School, for its size, is one of our biggest.”

LifeSouth provides blood to hospitals across the area, such as Northeast Georgia Medical Center and Emory Johns Creek Hospital. They have a fleet of seven blood mobiles, Becker said.

“With one in three people needing a blood transfusion in a lifetime, there are probably more people than we realize who’ve needed it,” said Sondra Wallace-Foster, assistant regional manager from LifeSouth.

Transfusions are commonly performed for chemotherapy patients and those involved in traumatic accid-ents.

“People often lump blood into the same category as Band-Aids and gauze; they think it’ll just be there. But it’s the one thing you can’t call up and order if you need it,” she said.

Freshman Andy Cagle, who donated blood at lunchtime, said it was natural for him to make a blood donation — he comes from a family of nurses. He said blood transfusions also improved the quality of life of his mentor, who passed away from cancer a couple of years ago.

Because the competing schools are different sizes, each school will be judged on the percentage of eligible students who donate. There are 523 eligible donors at Gainesville High.

The winning school will receive a trophy, Becker said, and students who donated are placed in a raffle for a new Blu-ray player. While there is no upper age limit to giving blood, donors must be 17 years old to give blood without parental consent, or 16 years old with parental consent. Gainesville High asked students to bring a parent if they were younger than 17, but the Florida high school is only asking for parent permission.

“We were a little more limited than we could’ve been,” Becker said. “But there are still lots of opportunities for 16-year-olds to donate.”

He added that an important part of Monday’s event was to get students indoctrinated into giving blood.

“Students are some of our best donors because they really want to do something for our community,” he said.