On March 16, 2026 at 7:00 a.m., students and staff involved in the National Honors Society (NHS) stationed themselves in the gym to prepare for the annual blood drive. Economics teacher Ryan Allen and history teacher Matthew Porco are the advisors of NHS and began planning the event months in advance.
“Planning for this starts a year in advance,” said Allen. “We get the date locked down and a lot of our work starts the month before, like finding ways to advertise and reach out to students and staff on how they can donate blood. We make presentations that get delivered in seminar, as well as getting students to sign up.”
There are only 110 spots available for students and staff to donate blood, and this year they were all filled.
“They [donors] want to make a difference. I think kids signed up to do a good thing. The $15 gift card is definitely a push,” said Allen.
Students who donate blood are rewarded with a $15 dollar amazon gift card and a red graduation cord to represent their donation to the Red Cross.
“This is my first time giving blood,” said senior Natalie Mims. “I heard they are giving me a gift card and a graduation cord.”
However, not every person who signs up is eligible to give blood. There are requirements every student must meet, like age and weight. Students must be at least 16 years of age and have parent permission, unless over 18 years of age. They must also meet weight requirements.
According to The Red Cross, donors above 5’0 must weigh over 110 lbs, and those below 5’0 must weigh more. This is because blood is proportional to body weight, so taking more blood than weight can lead to dizziness, severe hypertension or vasovagal reactions.
Senior Lilla Baublis signed up to donate her blood, but she faced complications with the procedure and her arm started bruising. She was unable to finish donating, however, she still received the cord and gift card, which she plans to use to buy a gift for her dog.
“My mom donates blood a lot and I thought it would be nice to also donate blood… maybe I’ll buy a sweater for my dog,” said Baublis.
Luckily, most students do not face bad reactions at the blood drive.
“Probably 95% of all students are going to have a positive reaction,” said Allen. “They are going to donate blood, go back to the cantina, get a bite to eat and drink some water.”
Snacks are provided to the students at the “cantina” table. There’s a wide variety including cookies, Cheez-Its, fruit bars and more, including local donations collected by NHS students.
“The Red cross is always giving cookies and water, but we like to go above and beyond. A bunch of local establishments donate pizza, could be Culvers, could be bagels and coffee,” said Allen.
The blood drive ran from 7:45 a.m. to the end of the school day at 2:20 p.m. and was a huge success.
“Mr. Porco and I and the Honors Society are so appreciative of the staff and student population here,” said Allen. “We know this is a disruption throughout the course of the day and the fact that we are allowed to do this with students being a part of it, one donation saves three lives. People like the idea of giving back to the community.”
