“My dad and my mom both needed blood products when they were still living, so it’s just really important to me so that the blood stays local,” said American Red Cross team supervisor Cindy Vandermeer. “I think it’s real important to give in your community.”

Blood donations help keep people alive. Hospitals started blood banks to help patients who relied on direct transfusion to keep them alive. 

To access blood for procedures, there needs to be blood drives. As such, the National Honors Society (NHS) hosts an annual blood drive with the Red Cross. 

Not only does donating increase access to blood necessary for transfusions, but it also teaches students that they can be a part of something for the greater good. 

“It allows students to see beyond their own means to know that their blood is not only going to help someone in their community,” NHS co-advisor Ryan Allen continued, “but working through the Red Cross, the students develop a greater character within themselves.”

One of the motivating factors for prospective donors is that a single donation, typically a pint, can save three lives. For second-time donor Ava Abate, saving lives is the main reason she participated in the drive this year. 

“I think it’s important to donate blood locally as a high schooler,” Abate said, “to have an experience to feel like you’re giving back in the community and know you’re making an impact on someone else’s life.”