BY CAITLIN LAFLOWER
On May 5, the high school’s American Red Cross Club hosted its annual blood drive with the national American Red Cross organization. The event took place in the main building’s back gym with stations set up for donors to have their vitals checked, gurneys to lay on while donating blood, and a rest area with snacks for recovery afterwards.
The drive collected 76 pints of blood. 100 students generously signed up to donate, which exceeded the expectations of Red Cross staff and volunteers. “We had more people scheduled for appointments than the Red Cross had supplies to draw blood,” shared Matthew Walz.
The club’s board worked closely alongside the National Red Cross*** see above to thoughtfully plan the drive. “We coordinated the drive with a Red Cross representative who walked us through each step of the process,” said Walz.
Some students used the drive as an opportunity to donate for the first time. “It was my first time donating blood,” said Aaron Hernandez. “It went smoothly and the people running it were great at making it comfortable.”
Participating in the blood drive allowed those eligible to give back to their community in a simple way with no financial cost to them. “If you are able-bodied, please donate. It is a very easy way to help multiple people with little to no effort on your part, and you get snacks,” said Ashley Photis.
The Red Cross Club appreciated the school community for the drive’s success. “Our school creates a unified community where everyone tries their best to help out and make a difference,” said Om Pandya. “Participating in the blood drive is a step towards that, which is why I think we had many students willing to donate their blood for a good cause.”
Posted on 6/15/25
Photos by Caitlin LaFlower
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