The Blood Drive sponsored by Mercy Hospital and Student Council (STUCO) was held on March 3. The Blood Drive is an organized event where people can give their blood for use in hospitals.
Physical Education teacher and STUCO sponsor Jill Grimshaw said she prepares for the STUCO Blood Drive by having meetings, reaching out to Mercy Hospital, and making students aware of the Blood Drive.
“We had a student council meeting, and we set up an email with the Mercy rep so Mercy can schedule them. We get set up by promoting the STUCO Blood Drive on the announcements, and during lunch, we get our student officers to get sign-ups. We do volunteer sign-up for the day of,” Grimshaw said. .
STUCO President Arun Halder said there are benefits to donating blood.
“The blood people donate is used to save accident and trauma victims. There is a certain timing of all this, we have to end the blood drive by 1 P.M.so they can use this blood this weekend for the accidents,” Halder said. .
Junior Addison White donated her blood for the blood drive to help people in need and to know her blood type.
“My dad has a [rare] heart condition which needs blood transfusion so I thought it would be cool for me to give blood, as well as find out my blood type,” White said.
Grimshaw said there was a set goal for how much blood the STUCO Blood Drive got. They received 26 units of blood this drive.
“[The Blood Drive] goal was 40 people, each person donates one pint. Last fall we had a really good Blood Drive. We were hoping to keep that [amount] for this Blood Drive too,” Grimshaw said.
Halder had several roles in preparation of the Blood Drive
“I oversee everything, I have to make sure everyone is sticking and doing their jobs correctly. I help manage volunteers and donors coming in and out. I walk around to make sure everyone is doing well,” Halder said.
Volunteers have to prepare for donating blood by eating large amounts before because of how influential food is to the results.
“I had Culvers the night before because it had meat and I needed to eat that. [That] morning I had two muffins, orange juice, pretzels, and grapes,” White said.
