Live life like your blood type: B positive!
The annual Cannon Falls High School blood drive was held on March 1
Senior Jenna Kremers waits patiently as Red Cross workers process her donation
1 pint is 2 cups, 32 tablespoons, or 96 teaspoons. 1 pint of blood also has the ability to save three lives. The Cannon Falls Blood Drive helped students and staff alike on March 1st to make a difference by giving instead of taking. Organized by the National Honor Society this blood drive has given pint after pint to vital patients around the nation. It also is a time for students to feel like they can make a difference in the world. Giving blood is a pretty simple process, but can be overwhelming for first time donors. After ten minutes of questioning (to make sure that your blood is safe to be transfused into patients) the donor then lies down and a pint of blood is sucked out. Once the blood is out, it’s ready to be shipped off to where it’s needed most. “The process was pretty simple,” stated Junior Yohan Batham, a first time donor. “It was also fun to eat the snacks afterwards.”
On Wednesday March 1st, the Cannon Falls High School held its annual American Red Cross Blood Drive. It went from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm in the high school auditorium and was organized by the Cannon Falls National Honor Society and the American Red Cross. The school is proud to have hosted the blood drive for over 10 years and is hoping to continue with their success in the years to come. All available slots were filled along with a few added slots for those who still wished to donation. Thanks to the volunteers from the high school’s students and faculty, the school collected 75 units of blood resulting in about 225 saved lives. Unlike some years, many of the slot holders from this year’s drive were held by first time donors.
One of those first time donors was junior Jackson Maki. He decided to donate blood this year because “giving blood is a great way to give back to the community”. Along with Maki, high school social studies teacher and master of donating blood Tom Langfeldt will be giving blood once again at our school’s drive. Mr. Langfeldt starting his senior year of high school, has continued through the years making him a donor for over 40 years. He initially began because his parents gave blood, so he believed that it was the right thing to do, but over time he realized how beneficial it is to others. His only tips for first time donors is to just relax and to not look at a needle, unless you become a pro like him, at which he looks every time. Some other tips are to make sure to eat a good dinner the night before and a good breakfast the morning of. Also do not consume energy drinks or other caffeinated beverages if possible.
One donation of blood and an hour of one’s time can save the lives of three people so if you are willing, please make sure to donate at future blood drive events. If you are nervous about the experience think of the lives that you could potentially save, not the blood getting sucked out your body. If you are interesting in giving blood at another location you can find one located near you on the American Red Cross’ website or by this link. Happy donating!
Katie Allen is a photography editor, who enjoys activities such as Speech, band, and watching John Mulaney's New in Town. When she's not busy reading or...
