The school and the HW Parents Association hosted the first blood drive in three years with the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center on Oct. 22. Approximately 70 people, including students, staff and parents, registered for the drive.

Co-Chairs of the HW Parents Association Pansy Yang and Catherine Huang said that the Blood Drive this year was a huge success after the long hiatus due to COVID-19.

“We were hoping to get donations of 30 units, but more than 70 students, teachers, staff members, administrators and parents volunteered to donate blood,” Huang said.

Yang also said the HW Parents Association and everyone involved was happy with the amount supporters and participants for the Blood Drive this year.

“Everyone was thrilled with the blood donor and volunteer turnout and how the HW community rallied for this worthy cause,” Pansy said.

Community Council advised students to get at least eight hours of sleep the night before the donation and drink water within 10-30 minutes before their donation.

Student donors would first register themselves through an application, then they would be taken by a nurse to see if their iron level is high enough. After, they would wait for an empty bed to do a blood draw for 15 minutes.

After the blood is collected, the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center takes it to a blood bank to ship it to hospitals in need.

Executive Assistant to the President of the school Anne-Marie Whitman said that the annual Blood Drive brought awareness to the importance and the need for blood donation in our community.

“I do think that blood drive impacts students and how they think about when people need blood,” Whitman said. “Whether if they are having surgery or they are in an accident and they are in the hospital or for their immune compromise. You never know when you are going to need blood and I think it opens students’ eyes to the need that’s out there.”

Sam Pulaski ’24, after donating blood for the first time, said having an opportunity to help others during the pandemic motivated him to participate in the Blood Drive this year.

“I was looking forward to contributing to those in need,” Pulaski said. “There is a blood shortage due to COVID apparently and blood helps treat people in the ICU so it’s good to help.”