The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Club hosted a blood drive on Friday, March 15 in the Great Room with the purpose of giving back to society and helping people in need. This was the second blood drive this school year; UNICEF hopes to host one every semester. Students, parents, and teachers who were 17 years or older, and weighed more than 115 pounds, were allowed to donate their blood to the cause.

UNICEF members came in as early as 8 a.m. to set up for the blood drive and to help show the paramedics where they needed to be. Students hoped that the blood drive would get the entire school involved in giving back to the community.

“We wanted to take on a big project that would help the community, and a blood drive seemed like the easiest way and also one of the most effective ways,” UNICEF President Lilly Swank ‘19 said. “It’s something that is so easy [to do] and people don’t do it a lot so I love watching everyone [who] has never donated blood before come, and they end up [saying that] it was a great experience, and it kind of gets people to start donating. My favorite part about it is definitely at the end of the day, when we’ve worked like ten hours and you see that we made our goal, and seeing the community really come out. ”

There is only one blood bank in the ten Central Texas counties, so it is not always easy for people to donate their blood. Therefore, this was a unique opportunity for students who wanted to help the community to easily do so.

“I love helping my community, and I thought this would be an easy way to do it during school,” Kate Jernigan ‘20 said.  “I think it is a good way to help out the community, [and] I’ve had my blood drawn before. [My favorite part is] feeling like I did something good.”

The goal of We Are Blood, the company that runs these blood drives, is not only to get more donors, but also to inform young people about the benefits of donating blood. In fact, donating blood not only gives people the satisfaction of saving lives, but can also benefit their own health by lowering the risk of heart disease and helping you feel refreshed.

“[I like] that we give back to the community. The benefits of donating blood [is that] it’s kind of like an oil change. Out with the bad, in with the good. Your blood kind of rotates, so when you donate you will feel a little refreshed, and just knowing that you are able to save up to two lives when you do it is even better,” Account Manager of We Are Blood said. “[I hope] to educate the young community, so that way as [high schoolers] get older, from high school, to universities, up to the business you will go to, that [they] will still give back to the community when they come home.”