Blood Drive Saves Lives
December 5, 2009 • written by Samantha Hartfiel
On November 20th, students had a unique opportunity to make a difference in the world, as the Red Cross Blood Mobile came to Park High School. The annual event, in which students who are sixteen and older can donate blood that will be given to people who need it, was very successful this year. Over the course of six hours, approximately 130 students and teachers gave blood with the help from Red Cross volunteers, supplying enough blood to save over 300 people’s lives.
The Blood Drive was held in the activity center and was said to have flowed very smoothly, according to Park Student Council President Tom Schultz.
“The Blood Drive turned out great,” Schultz stated, “It was not hectic at all and was successful in the fact that we reached our goal of 105 donators.”
While some students were turned down to give blood due to fear, illness, or because they did not meet the strict height and weight requirements, Park was rewarded with a $1,000 scholarship for having more than a hundred students donate.
One of these students was senior Anna Gunter, who gave blood for her second year.
“I gave blood last year and I just really want to help people,” Gunter smiled.
The occasion took place between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm on November 20th, and was hosted by the Student Council. Members wore red tie dye t-shirts and eased the nerves and boredom of the donators by talking to the students, as it took about five to twenty minutes for each individual to give their pint of blood. Other members were also sitting with students in the recovery area, in which benefactors were provided with water, cookies, and juice, so they could recuperate before returning to class. Unfortunately, several students ended up fainting because they did not take enough time to rest and attempted walking back to class. Luckily, none of these students were injured and recovered quickly after they were given water. Other students simply experienced the common symptoms of light headedness, dizziness, or soreness in the arm after giving, but these symptoms dissipated quickly. In fact, contrary to what some of the students believed, giving blood is actually a painless act.
“The finger prick hurts the most,” Gunter reaffirms, “After that, it actually feels kind of good, as weird as that sounds.”
Overall, the event ran without flaw and was lucrative. President Schultz was really pleased with the results and had this message for all who took the chance to give back.
“Thank you to all who donated! As a school we saved over 300 lives with all the blood donations. So thanks again, and donate in the future!”
*Photo by:Jessica Knable
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