Jean Gordon
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 12:02 pm

Shown are HOSA students delivering blankets Friday to the dialysis center in Rutherford County included Peyton Smith, Brianna Lucas-Treasurer; Aerianna Marsh, Emma Millette, Mylee Fincher, Peyton Arrowood-Vice President, Bailee Harrill-President, Lainey

The Chase High School Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Chapter hosted its 3rd Annual Blanket Drive, a community-centered initiative that brings warmth and comfort to local dialysis patients during the holiday season. Each year, from September through November, students and community members come together to donate new blankets, which are then delivered to the Dialysis Center of Rutherford County. Just in time for Christmas, every patient receives a blanket--an act of kindness that means more than many realize.

The tradition behind this project spans far beyond its three years at Chase High School. It began over 16 years ago in Columbus County, where the Chase HOSA Advisor's (Ellen Lawson BSN, RN Health Science Educator) late mother and step-father, Albert and Tina Lowery, started a similar blanket drive to support dialysis patients in their community. Both Mrs. Lawson's step-father and grandfather were long-term dialysis patients, cared for primarily by her mother. Their family saw firsthand the challenges of kidney disease--especially how dialysis treatments and medications often leave patients feeling cold much of the time.

Lawson continued this meaningful mission when she first became a HOSA Advisor at R-S Central High School four years ago. When she transferred to Chase High School in 2023, she introduced the tradition to her new HOSA students. Their response was immediate and enthusiastic: an overwhelming "yes" to carrying on the project.

As part of the initiative, students learn about kidney disease, the dialysis process, and the physical toll it takes on the human body. Understanding that dialysis patients often struggle to stay warm has deepened students' compassion and strengthened their commitment to the cause.

"Knowing the story behind this project makes it even more special," one student shared. "We aren't just giving blankets--we're giving comfort."

Today, Lawson and her sisters, Tina Smith and Wendy Heath, continue the original Columbus County blanket drive to honor the memory and legacy of their parents.

Through service, education, and heartfelt dedication, Chase's HOSA students are keeping a family tradition alive--one blanket, and one act of kindness, at a time.