According to its website, the Red Cross collects, on average, 13.6 million units of whole blood and red blood cells annually.

On April 26 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., our school community contributed its share to this worthy cause.

Three students in particular played important roles in bringing the blood drive to campus: Charlotte Lord, Liya Zenebe, and Emmett Propst.

Whereas Propst brought his social media and advertising expertise to the project, Lord and Zenebe concentrated their energy on the logistics, which involved preparations to welcome donors into Kuhrt Gym.

Thanks to the help of Red Cross representative Cassandra Malcolm, the drive unfolded in a smooth and orderly fashion.

It is estimated that 80 students, faculty, and staff signed up to donate blood, with 61 eligible to donate.

It was Lord who kept track of the total units of blood donated. In a recent email interview, Lord happily reported, “We were able to achieve our pint goal.”

In order to donate blood, volunteers needed to be at least 16 years of age, demonstrate proper iron levels, and have no recent travels to nations with high malaria rates.

One donor in particular with an inspiring reason to participated in the April blood drive was Bridget Durham. “My mom gives blood, and I want to follow her example,” Durham said.

In addition to Lord, Zenebe, and Propst, a number of students representing the Future Medical Professionals Club and Student Council also volunteered during the drive. These volunteers brought their enthusiasm to the cause by registering donors, helping donors recover after giving blood, or by handing out t-shirts.

Without their willingness to sacrifice their time and talents, the drive would not have been possible.

The April blood drive was the second drive conducted on campus this year.
According to the Red Cross, the average transfusion of red blood cells requires 3 units. As many as 100 units are sometimes needed for victims of serious car accidents.

One area of medicine where the demand for blood is particularly high is in the field of cancer treatment. Patients undergoing chemotherapy sometimes need a blood transfusion as often as once a day.

Anyone interested in locating an upcoming blood drive near them can visit redcross.org/give-blood.html.