By Lucas Brooks

How does it feel to save lives? Those who donated blood know the feeling. 95 people signed up to give blood in the gymnasium on November 17.

This was the first blood drive of the year and will be followed by another in February. Leslie Perry, the school nurse, was pleased with the turn out for this month and hopes many students sign up again for the next drive.

Many students performed well and kept their composure when getting their blood drawn.

“If they drink plenty of fluids the day before and eat breakfast usually nobody passes out,” said Perry.

“I thought it’d be really great to be a part of something big like American Red Cross and help people save lives” said Lakshmi Hipara (’16).

Grace Ebacher-Rini (’17) was not able to donate blood because she did not fulfill the physical requirements. Because she was not able to offer her blood, she instead offered her services and volunteered. “If I can’t donate blood, then at least I’m contributing in some way,” said Ebacher-Rini. She passed out snacks and fluids to ensure that students were in a stable state.

In order to donate, the donor must weigh at least 110 lbs. and be at least 16 years of age with parental consent. Also, they need to be feeling well and in good health.

“There’s always a few [who get deferred] who have low iron or blood pressure or have a little bit of a cold today so they can’t give,” said Perry.

Those that were able to donate; however, know that they made a difference in someone’s life. “The most rewarding thing about donating blood is the fact that you can save up to three lives because of the three main components and you just never know when someone you love and care about will need a unit or two,” said Kristine Dehais, a member of the American Red Cross.