Students demonstrate willingness to give

LifeSource, an organization dedicated to saving lives through blood donations, worked with Interact Club on Oct. 16.  Photo courtesy of Marc Wolfe.

LifeSource, an organization dedicated to saving lives through blood donations, worked with Interact Club on Oct. 16. Photo courtesy of Marc Wolfe.

By Hector Cervantes, Reporter

Students saved 372 lives at Interact Club’s fall blood drive on Oct. 16.

Three pints of blood are needed to save a life, according to Interact Club adviser Gavin Engel. In total, 124 students donated blood.

“It’s a simple thing to do. You are saving the life of someone who needs blood. If some person was in an accident, if someone needs surgery and a blood transfusion, you are saving their life by donating blood,” Engel said.

LifeSource is a blood bank that assists with the blood drive. Interact Club members also helped at the event.

“Students help out in a number of ways. At the check-in table they took the students’ paperwork to donate blood. Students also helped at the refreshments table when donors are done with donating blood,” Engel said.

In order for the blood drive to stay organized, students need to be healthy.

“Normally when the students check in they get a snack and vitamin water to stay hydrated and have a full stomach before giving blood. Then they meet with a nurse who has a checklist of things to do like checking the student’s temperature and just making sure students are healthy to donate blood. At this point, the students wait to donate blood,” Engel said.

In order to keep student interest in donating blood, Engel stresses how certain people need a blood transfusion.

“A lot of it is putting the information out there. The person who coordinates the blood drive from LifeSource told me that a 26 year old needed a blood transfusion of O negative blood and he needed 30 pints of blood. At certain times of the year, they will be low in certain blood types and some people who need a blood transfusion shouldn’t have to worry that they will run out of luck,” Engel said.

Students who donated blood received an elastic backstrap for Ipods and smartphones.

“Students who did not get to participate in the fall blood drive can get to donate at the spring blood drive in April,” Engel said.