SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Despite concerns voiced to the contrary, LifeSouth Blood Centers reassured local parents their children’s contributions to upcoming blood drives would be rewarded as promised.

“I’m trying to be more proactive,” said Sommer Smith, regarding an apparent miscommunication concerning a recent blood drive.

A Monday post on The Bulletin’s website announcing a Friday drive at Rockwell Elementary School noted students who produce an eligible donor are invited to an ice cream party hosted by the blood bank.

Spanish Fort Elementary School parent Cristi Brown Smith commented on the newspaper’s Facebook page, however, that the same promise had been made to SFES students and never delivered.

“I don’t mind giving blood, and I did donate, just don’t promise the kids ice cream,” Cristi Brown Smith wrote.

LifeSouth’s Sommer Smith said the promised ice cream party for SFES students did take place at 2 p.m. Dec. 14 in the school’s cafeteria.

“We had a bunch of drives with elementary and middle schools scheduled really close together, so we waited until all of them had happened and then tried to do a big push to say thank you,” Sommer Smith said.

When asked to elaborate on her comment, Cristi Brown Smith said parents and grandparents should be asked directly to donate blood and the children should be left out of it completely.

“I don’t think everything has to be a contest of sorts. I usually ‘go with the flow’ with things at school, but this was one thing that happened that has really bothered me,” she wrote, taking particular exception with the children who are left out of the fun through no fault of their own.

“Most parents work and are unable to go give blood in their child’s name. That would leave those children out of the ice cream party. It’s almost that they are being punished.”

Sommer Smith said, however, she is unaware of any school being denied the promised participation reward and noted the schools often dictate both the type or reward provided and the time frame.

“Stapleton Elementary School wanted us to wait two months, and Bay Minette Middle School wanted pizza instead of ice cream since we were dealing with older students. We try to be as accommodating as we can, but with this next round we will work to deliver what is promised a little quicker unless (the schools) specifically ask us to wait. It really depends on what they want,” Sommer Smith said.

Joy O’Farrell, Rockwell’s secretary, said the school participated in a similar LifeSouth drive “a few years ago, but they did the ice cream party for us.”

Sommer Smith said SFES has already scheduled another drive from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 25.