It is not every day that one is given the opportunity to save lives from the comfort of their school.
Malden High’s American Red Cross Club hosted its first blood drive of the year in the gallery on Wednesday, March 19th, in hopes of uniting donors and volunteers alike under one common goal: making a difference in the lives of those in need of blood transfusions.
The American Red Cross is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that aids communities through providing disaster relief and disaster preparedness education. A week prior to hosting the blood drive, “members participated in CPR training. Our club earned the training as a reward for their diligent fundraising efforts in the fall,” explained Martin Berryman, one of the American Red Cross Club’s advisors.
After extensive preparations, the stage was set for the day-long event where the club’s efforts would come to fruition. “The blood drive requires a timely manner to host, and as President, I worked very closely with my advisors Ms. Kumar and Mr. Berryman reaching out to American Red Cross representatives to get detailed information on logistics, marketing, transportation, and equipment. We made sure to get every detail down, from time of arrival to closing,” detailed junior club President Ashlee Zeng.
Club members could volunteer to assist at the blood drive on a first-come, first-serve basis. Volunteers were responsible for helping Red Cross staff set up the event and supporting donors throughout the day by checking them in and handing out complimentary snacks and beverages.
Sophomore club member Angela Lam described her role at the blood drive as “mainly helping people keep track of time while resting after having their blood drawn, and otherwise I was there to help with anything if needed. Getting to know how the blood drive worked helps me become familiar with the process so that I can donate blood myself or continue to volunteer for future events.”
Through volunteering at the blood drive, students were able to “develop essential skills, such as project management, teamwork, communication, and empathy,” shared Berryman. While it is important to recognize the planning that went into the event, the blood drive would have not been possible without the generosity of its donors.
One of the many advantages of hosting a blood drive during school hours is offering an efficient opportunity for students and staff who have not been able to donate prior to participating. “I had never done it before and I kind of just wanted to experience it for the first time. A lot of people won’t go out of their way to donate if an opportunity doesn’t present itself so these events are important to get more people involved,” senior donor Natalie Keating emphasized.
While providing blood for those in need of blood transfusions due to illness, injury, or surgery is the goal of the drive, the event’s value holds a deeper significance than medical aid.
Berryman highlights why hosting a blood drive is important to our community specifically, observing how “we have a diverse and supportive community at Malden High School, and student donors feel proud and energized when they know they are actively helping save lives.”
Donors were able to try new things while carrying out their civic responsibility and learning about the Red Cross club’s values. “This was my first time being able to donate, and I wanted to see how it was. I thought it was cool learning about the causes Red Cross advocates for and why they do the things they do,” junior donor Linh Do commented.
By the end of the event, the Red Cross club succeeded in bolstering civic engagement and gathering life-saving resources. “Although this is the first of many our club will host, we are proud to have gathered so many people—students and teachers—to acknowledge the importance of donating blood and actively giving back to our community. Despite some deferrals for donations, we were able to collect 22 units of blood from the Malden High School,” summarized Zeng.
Stay up to date with civic engagement opportunities provided by the American Red Cross Club through their Instagram account, @malden_redcross.
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