Students bled for the cause at the National Honor Society’s annual blood drive on Feb. 15. Students and teachers all lined up to donate. Some were first time donors and others had been donating for years. One first-time donor said she felt good while she patiently waited her turn. “I’m terrified of needles, but I’ll push through,” senior Gracey Mae. Senior Ryan Howard had had a good experience. “The only bad part was the needle actually going into my arm,” he said.

Some students put their heart into it. First time donor and senior Levi Carlton gave a double red. Senior Devin Jean also gave a double red last year and this year. To donate two units of red blood cells you must have blood type O, A negative, or B negative. A double red requires a machine that pulls everything out and separates the plasma. They take two units of red blood cells. The plasma then goes into a separate bag and later the machine puts the plasma and some saline back into your body. Even though you donate two units of blood there are few side effects.

Although the recent Influenza outbreak made it hard to find eligible donors, NHS managed to receive 169 pints of blood, meeting their goal. Blood donations were important this season to help the Red Cross catch up after the influenza outbreak. Senior Courtney Pelland realized the importance of blood donation two years ago when she was hospitalized because her body didn’t have enough iron. “If it wasn’t for the people who donated, I wouldn’t be here today,” she said.