On April 10, University Academy hosted a blood drive in the small gym, and it turned out to be a huge success.
The event was organized by Mrs. Jessica Holmes, an Upper School science teacher. She decided to organize the blood drive because she values the impact of blood donation and saw an opportunity to bring her experiences to the students at UA. The sophomore class helped with the event as their community service project for the year.
When people hear the phrase “a pint of blood,” they might immediately hesitate, but a single pint of donated blood saves three or more lives.
Donated blood is constantly needed for surgeries, emergency situations and patients with chronic conditions like cancer or anemia. Blood supply can drop to critical levels, and consistent donors are critical.
Mrs. Holmes said, “After speaking with a staff member from the Community Blood Center, I realized just how urgent the need was. They were close to a blood emergency, which means having less than a 1-2 day supply. As a returning donor, it reaffirmed how meaningful each donation truly is.”
Cameron McFarlin, a senior at UA, was a first time donor.
“It felt really good to know that I got the chance to contribute to helping someone in need,” he said.
McFarlin also said, “My favorite part of the donation process was getting the snacks after donating blood.”
Another big thing that caught the attention of Upper School students was the community service opportunity that tacked on 25 community service hours for donating blood or even unsuccessfully attempting to donate at the drive. One other benefit to participating in a blood drive was connecting with new people.
Mrs. Holmes said, “I enjoy meeting new people, so interacting and chatting with the blood center staff was a highlight. I also loved visiting with students and hearing about their experiences.”
There can be negatives when it comes to donating blood, too. This might include fear of needles and possibly being turned away due to low iron levels or not meeting one of the other requirements.
McFarlin said, “During the process of blood donation, I felt a bit tired. I actually didn’t drink enough water, and so the blood wasn’t really coming out. Turns out, my blood had clotted inside the needle, so I got nowhere near the 500ml goal of blood to be donated.”
To help with this, Mrs. Holmes recommended that anyone planning to donate in the future should start preparing the week before by hydrating and eating properly.
When it came down to it, the blood drive was a huge success. Even though it was a professional development day for teachers on April 10, students still showed up and showed out. Regardless of the motivation, plenty of lives were saved.
Mrs. Holmes said, “I was genuinely excited to see the turnout we had. Since it was a no school day, I wasn’t sure how many students would come, so seeing so many show up to support such an important cause was really encouraging.”
Everything went according to plan. The goal was 25 donors, and there ended up being 38 students and 11 adults who donated successfully. One hundred lives were impacted, according to the Community Blood Center.
Eighteen more individuals tried to donate but were unable to do so for one reason or another.
In the end, the blood drive at University Academy was more than just a successful event; it was a reminder of how powerful a single act of generosity can be. Whether first-time or experienced donors, everyone contributed to something bigger than themselves.
