Blood drive: a hit among students

The American Red Cross assisted the Key Club in their annual blood drive in the west gym on April 24. There were a total of 68 student and teacher donors. Each person gave one pint of blood and as a result, 204 people have the opportunity to be helped.

Once the donors arrived, they were instructed to read the information explaining the process of donating blood. Each person was asked a series of personal questions and their blood was checked to ensure that they were eligible to participate.

“We do a physical, height and weight and if their pulse is more than 100 beats per minute, we do not recommend the person donates,” American Red Cross Manager Omar Javier said. “The person can’t be on any antibiotics or have been out of the country where certain viruses are common”.

After students gave blood, they were required to replenish themselves with snacks and fluids before heading back to class. Each donor was given a sticker to show they participated in the drive. The whole process took over an hour, but the actual drawing of blood took approximately 10-15 minutes.

“For every pint donated, 3 lives are saved,” junior Lia Gaccione said. “It makes me feel like a better person knowing I’m helping others.”