The Red Cross Club (RCC) organized its annual blood drive on March 14 in the dance room. The blood drive is sponsored by the National Red Cross Foundation, which partners with participating schools to gather crucial blood donations.
“Knowing that I am saving lives is what motivates me,” junior Emily Escobar said. “They explained to me how they separated my blood so that I am able to save three people's lives.”
In order to be eligible to donate blood, one must weigh at least 110 lbs, be in good health, have not donated blood in the last 56 days and be at least 17 years of age, or 16 with written parental consent.
“Volunteers like myself monitor to confirm each individual meets the requirements,” said senior Soyam Amanuel, president of the RCC. “These restrictions are put in place to ensure the safety of the individual donating.”
RCC works to save as many lives as it can, which was the inspiration behind starting the annual blood drive every year. It takes extensive preparation for the RCC to organize the blood drive each year.
“We start planning [the blood drive] in August because of how long it takes to coordinate,” Amanuel said. “When in high school, it's important to learn how to not only be a good academic but also a good citizen in society as a whole.”
