Three lives. That is the number of lives saved by just one donation of blood. This past Thursday, April 6th, 2017, State High hosted an American Red Cross blood drive providing students and faculty with the opportunity to donate blood for others in need. “I felt really good about giving blood because I know I’m making a difference and could possibly save someone’s life,” said Taylor Love, senior. Key Club ran and organized the event with the goal being to get as many students as possible to make a contribution. Students immediately began filling the sign up sheets for the drive. “My sister has donated a lot of blood and the amount of people it is able to help made me really want to do it,” said Olivia Kerr, junior. So many students signed up that Key Club was forced to turn many away by the end of the day.

Senior Ben Renfrew worked hard to coordinate and promote the blood drive. “I love to help people, it’s all about giving back to your community and saving lives. Blood is always something that is in need,” said Renfrew. Students over 16 as well as faculty were able to sign up to donate blood. Those who attended were given food and water before and after their blood was taken to ensure that the process ran smoothly and there would be no complications. Volunteers and American Red Cross workers made sure that donors were okay during the process.

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. Being that it is in such high demand for many purposes, the American Red Cross hosts many blood drives all over the country. “Although I was nervous to begin with, after the fact I realized that what I was doing was much bigger than me,” said Griffon Barter, senior. The process of giving blood can usually take over an hour due to everything that goes into it. Getting the blood drawn usually takes around 10 minutes but the bulk of the process is taken up by waiting before and after it happens and getting your finger pricked. After the blood is taken, donors need to rest and be given a snack to get their blood sugar back up. It is also vital that donors eat well before the process starts so there is not a risk of fainting or feeling sick. Even though it can be scary to donate blood, it goes towards an amazing cause and donors can walk away knowing they are saving lives.