On Feb.9, the Student Council held the annual blood drive in the field house. Six weeks of hard work and planning paid off, as the team successfully surpassed their goal of collecting 65 pints of blood.
“Two days before the drive, we only had about 75 donors, so there was a massive effort to get a lot of people to sign up on the final day,” Matthew Seiberlich, junior student council member, said.
Fortunately, the student body came together to express their generous spirit, and in the end, about 112 donors signed up, and 99 checked in on the day of the drive to donate blood.
Each donation is invaluable and can save up to three lives. “The best part about the blood drive is seeing all the students volunteering to make a difference and try to save a life. Donating blood can be a scary notion to a first-time donor or just for fear of the unknown,” Ashley Ackmann, student council advisor and science teacher, said.
The student council was entirely responsible for running the drive. “On the day of the drive our students were here at 5:30 a.m. to set up tables and chairs, hang posters and signage, organize food, and get ready to smile and help others all day,” Dawn Pfaff, student council advisor and science teacher, described.
“We’re so grateful for the donors and for the people on student council who did a great job making sure everything ran smoothly,” Amelia Horwitz, senior and student council president, said.
Running the drive was no small feat, but with over 30 student council members, volunteers could take shifts throughout the day to maximize efficiency. Some members worked at the check-in table, helping get the donors ready, while others manned the post-donation snack table, making sure all the donors were nourished after giving blood.
“The atmosphere is just excellent,” Seiberlich said. “It’s a great cause; there are a lot of great people who participate, and you always have friends nearby.”
“I love watching our students be so generous giving the ultimate gift: a part of themselves to someone in need,” Pfaff said.
