On Wednesday March 6th, River Dell’s Red Cross Club hosted a blood drive. This was River Dell’s second blood drive, as they do one a year. Donators scheduled their appointment in advance from a link sent by Ms. Haemmerle. The drive ran from 9:00AM – 2:00PM in the lower gym.
The River Dell’s Red Cross Club started last year, and its mission is to prevent human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of others. The club is required to do activities such as a Biomed activity (the blood drive), preparedness campaign, fundraiser, service to the armed forces, and international services.
This blood drive has been planned since River Dell’s first drive, last year. Ms. Haemmerle, Red Cross Club advisor said, “We started planning it the second it was over last year because we wanted to see what things went well and see what things we need to adjust.”
The Red Cross Club coordinated with their blood drive coordinator, Joyce Massaro. The coordinator confirmed the dates, how many chairs/tables are needed, and number of volunteers needed. The club got permission and got it on the school calendar.
The blood drive was open to students over the age of 16 with parental consent and open to faculty and staff. Ms. Haemmerle stated, “We know parents would like to donate, but if we open it up to anybody outside the faculty and staff, then it needs to be open to the general public, so for safety purposes we haven’t done that.”
There were 72 scheduled donors, 22 faculty/staff and 50 students. Unfortunately, some donors were unable to donate for reasons like high blood pressure, low iron, or did not meet weight requirements. Senior, Hannah Clancy, was unable to donate due to weight requirements, she said, “Since I am not 19, I have to be a certain weight at 5’4 and since I’m lighter, I’m more susceptible to passing out, which is what they are trying to avoid.”
Donors got a $10 dollar gift card for donating and cookies from the cafeteria.
They were able to collect 52 units of blood. Ms. Haemmerle said, “The blood drive supervisor said anything over 40 units of blood for a drive our size is great!”
