WHS Students and Staff save 75 lives through Fall Blood Drive

By Katie Bridges

Wethersfield High School was proud to host our seventh Red Cross Blood Drive on September 25. Students, staff, and parents met in the gym to donate a pint and save three lives. 

Technology teacher and head of Blue Eagle News Ms.Coco helped to organize our fall blood drive, and this has been her 25th year running blood drives for schools and students.

Ms. Coco said, “I was looking to get involved in some activities at the high school and I joined on.”

We are excited to have Ms.Coco running upcoming blood drives at Wethersfield High School

Along with Ms.Coco, we have student coordinators. They, along with more student volunteers, help sign in students and monitor them as they process through the drive. They are an essential part of the drive along with the Red Cross workers. 

Their goal for the drive was to have 40 donors sign up to donate blood. To become a donor for the any blood drive, you can sign up by seeing one of the volunteers or coordinators during the lunch waves.  Donors must be over 17 by the time of donating and must be in good health. 

Due to recent rash of illness going around many students were not able to donate, even having a cough, cold, or showing allergy symptoms was enough to turn donors away. 

The fall is always a tricky time to hold drives at the high school. There aren’t as many students over 17, and it is the flu and allergy season. Even with that, this fall’s blood drive was able to save 75 lives through 25 pints donated by students or staff.

Senior Alexis Almada said,“We usually exceed the number of sign ups for our blood drives.”

They hope to have even more students participate in upcoming drives this year. Keep tuned to Blue Eagle News and announcements for the next blood drive and sign up to donate.

​

---