The spooky month had plenty of scares for Cannon Falls. From fake costumes to actual sinister events, the town was busy—even the school had its own fair share of frights. For two consecutive weeks, the high school had ongoing roof repair. The repair became a huge issue for classes in the final week of October. Due to the intense smell and noise, the superintendent, Jeff Sampson, made the call to switch to online BOLD days for both Thursday and Friday, ending the month in a spectacle. But it did prevent a large event from occurring. For a month, the fall Blood Drive was scheduled on the day of Halloween; Minnesota Honor Society (MHS) members had a registration booth open during lunch hours for students to sign up, and had the day planned out. With the switch to online school days, the Blood Drive had to postpone the event to a later day.
The advisors of MHS, Kirsten Hoffman and Jade Fransen, decided to postpone the Blood Drive for a multitude of reasons. “People were told to stay out of the building for safety,” Jade Fransen says, as the biggest reason why it was moved. The BOLD days also prevented students from being able to attend and help, as they didn’t have a ride or had to focus on school. The new date is now rescheduled to the third of December, a fairly festive month. Registration will open back up, so students, staff, and other participants will have to reschedule their appointment.
In the previous years, the blood drives were split amongst two school clubs: Interact took care of the fall one, whilst MHS covered the latter one. This year, MHS is covering both events, as Interact was unable to resume as a club this year, due to a lack of members and an advisor. Fortunately, the Minnesota Honor Society has more members than in previous years, allowing more help and availability. Members have quickly filled up spots for volunteering events, showing their determination to help out. For the Blood Drive, they’ll run mostly everything, from lunch sign-ups to canteens on the day of the event, with their advisors covering the rest. They’re also encouraged to donate blood, with some going through with it.
The Blood Drives at Cannon Falls are extremely important. They allow students, staff, and locals to donate blood for those in need. According to the Importance of the Blood Supply by the American Red Cross, even “one donation can help save more than one life.” Recognizing its importance, 6.8 million people in America donate blood per year. Grady Meyers, the president of MHS, encourages people to sign up. “We hope to have a good turnout, and I want to emphasize that more blood translates to more scholarship money for our students.” Depending on the amount of blood donated, the Red Cross offers scholarships to Cannon Falls High School seniors: the more blood donated, the bigger the scholarship. Of course, not everyone can give up blood, so it’s important that those who can do it.
Despite chilling drawbacks, the Blood Drive has been set on a newer, hopefully stronger date; moving to a much more joyful month, the Blood Drive will be on December third. Registration will open back up for people soon, so many will have to reschedule. Students are encouraged to donate blood and will be excused from class for however long it takes for them to donate and recover. Donating blood is important, and the school recognizes that by supporting these events. The more people who donate, the better.
