Blood is an essential part of human life, but not everyone has the blood that they need. This is why having blood donors is so important. Now, students at George County are taking time away from their own days to either donate or help out with the biannual Red Cross blood drive.
The blood drive has basically become tradition at the high school, with students and teachers alike offering to help in some way. Student Council sponsor Ashlyn Stringfellow knows just how important their work is and is very appreciative of that.
“You can’t manufacture blood; you can’t make it in a lab,” Stringfellow said. “Blood can only be given by people and it’s something we depend on.”
The blood drive this year was a success, with the Student Council getting 63 out of their 70 unit goal. This is an enormous achievement for Stringfellow and the Red Cross, and she is thankful for everyone who donated.
“I just want to thank all the students that donated because they’re doing something very special and they are helping a lot of people that are in a time of need,” Stringfellow said.
Of course, this wouldn’t have even been possible without the help of the students at George County. They help in a variety of ways, from actually donating their blood to volunteering with the Red Cross to help. According to Stringfellow, it is because of their hard work and sacrifice that this blood drive was a success.
“I just think that it’s a nice deed, a good thing that our school does,” blood donor Kayelynn Sherrod said.
Now more than ever the Red Cross needs people to donate blood. Hospitals all across the United States are short on O- blood, the universal blood type that can be transferred into all patients. Despite this, only about 3 percent of eligible people donate according to the Red Cross. Stringfellow encourages everyone to donate or help in any way that they can, as this problem can only be helped with the kindness of others.
“I tell all of my students that if I can give blood, I think anybody can give blood,” Stringfellow said.
The next high school blood drive will be held on Feb. 22, 2024. If anyone wants to donate blood before that date, they can check out the Red Cross website to see if there are any donation centers near them.
