By Annie Qu
Staff Writer
Senior Nevin Rao stepped into the tall gray building on Nov. 13 as he prepared to get his blood drawn at the American Red Cross Club’s community blood drive at the district office. Previously, he signed up to be a blood donor on the Red Cross website.
When Rao arrived, he filled out an online questionnaire detailing his personal and medical information. He waited around fifteen minutes before Red Cross workers and nurses took him in and verified his information. Then, Rao waited for around ten minutes while his blood was drawn. To keep his blood sugar up, he ate snacks afterwards.
“I felt like it was a relatively easy process since it was close,” Rao said. “It also provided incentives and I could be donating towards a cause.”
Rao plans to donate blood at future blood drives in order to become eligible to receive a red cords.
Students will receive a red cord from the Red Cross Club that they can wear at graduation if they register to donate blood twice during their high school career, including at both past and future blood drives. After doing so, students are deemed American Red Cross Guardian Angels. The club’s next blood drive is on April 22 at the district office.
Students are also eligible to receive a red cord for graduation from the American Red Cross if they make a Power Red blood donation, which allows people to donate two units of blood during one donation. However, they may only do a Power Red donation if they have blood type O, A- or B- and meet specific age, weight and height criteria. Schools must hold two or more blood drives for their student blood donors to receive cords.
To organize the blood drive, the American Red Cross Club contacts a member of the local Red Cross for available blood drive dates. The Red Cross then provides resources for the club and organizes the blood drive with the district office after district approval.
The blood donated during the drives goes to different agencies and hospitals. These organizations donate blood to surgery patients, cancer patients and people in need of blood transplants.
Through these blood drives, The American Red Cross Club aims to promote community service and a love for human life through its blood drives. The club, which meets every other Friday in Room 802, also educates members on first aid education and disaster preparation, creating greater awareness of emergencies.
In previous years, the club participated in Red Cross chapter events that occur monthly.
This year, instead of chapter events, the club is focusing on getting students educated about the Red Cross and interested in donating blood.
“I know our nation is currently in an emergency blood shortage,” president Allison Fong said. “There’s a low number of people giving blood, so donating blood is really important right now.”