December 3 was a day where students and teachers became heroes. The Red Cross blood drive has been a hit this year, from students and teachers coming in during their school day to donate their blood and help out people who are in need. The blood drive’s goal was to collect 37 units of blood. This year The Red Cross Club has surpassed that goal with a total of 52 units. There were 50 successful donors, and two of the 50 were able to donate Power Red Donations, which are when donors can safely donate two units. 35 out of the 50 were first time donors, and 8 out of the 50 donors were type O.
“With the collection of 52 units of blood it will help approximately 156 hospital patients, making this year’s blood drive one of the schools record-high drives,” Julianne Anderson, Red Cross Club adviser, said.
“Donating blood and running blood drives makes a guaranteed difference in the world and all goes to a good cause,” senior Valerie Ngo said.
Donating blood is a simple way to save lives and support those in need. “These blood drives will help disaster preparedness, and support those important in our community,” senior Nithila Segottuvelan said. Some people that will benefit from these drives are patients undergoing surgery, cancer treatments, or recovering from accidents who often rely on donated blood to survive. However, only a small percentage of people donate each year, creating a constant need for more donors. By giving blood, people can make a difference in their community and help ensure hospitals have enough for emergencies. The Red Cross urges everyone who is eligible to donate regularly to keep the blood supply strong and meet the needs of patients across the country. “Being a part of the Red Cross Club or helping for the causes means being a part of saving lives,” junior Lian Chu said.
The Red Cross Club will be holding another blood drive on June 5 from 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., open to all students, teachers, and volunteers. In order to participate in the upcoming drive, students can sign up during lunch when the Red Cross Club hosts sign ups. Eligible people who are sixteen years old need a parental consent form. Adult students can sign up by scanning a QR code and choose any period to donate that is free on the website.
On the day of the blood drive, students and teachers will get screened by a professionally trained nurse or technician which includes showing ID, getting iron level tested, and blood pressure taken. Once the donor is cleared, they will lay on a table to donate. From there, students and teachers will be escorted to the recovery mat and will be given snacks, drinks, and rest for 15 minutes. Once the student or teacher feels well enough, they may go back to class.
This year’s blood drive showed the impact of students and teachers working together. By surpassing their goal they will be able to save many lives in the future.
