The school hosted a blood drive in partnership with University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Blood and Platelet Center on Dec. 5. All students above the age of 16 whose parent or guardian signed the required form were allowed to donate.
Parent Blood Drive Committee Co-Chair Xian Li (Angela Ren ’26, Matthew Ren ’26 and Benjamin Ren ’24) said blood donations are essential and can play a big role in helping save lives.
“Regular blood donation plays a crucial role in preventing shortages of blood or blood products in hospitals,” Li said. “Donated blood is utilized in treating patients with certain medical conditions like anemia and cancer. In emergencies, such as accidents or natural disasters, blood transfusions save lives for trauma victims.”
Li also said donating blood brings members of the community together for a good cause.
“Beyond its significance in public health, blood donation demonstrates strong community support,” Li said. “It fosters a sense of social responsibility, bringing people together to support one another in times of need.”
Fiona Kim ’24, who is a first time blood donor, said she hopes to make a contribution to the community and help others in need.
“I wanted to give back to my community, and this was a wonderful opportunity presented to me by the school,” Kim said. “People often take good health for granted, and it’s important that I use whatever [I have] to help out other people who may not have those same advantages.”
After a donor gave blood, the UCLA team gifted $10 Starbucks gift cards to students to show their appreciation. Donors were also given further information about receiving their blood type info two to three days following the drive.
Parent Blood Drive Committee Co-Chair Theresa Ta (Kai Do ‘24) said that the turnout was slightly lower this year due to students’ busy schedules.
“The blood drive had a turnout of 48 people in total, with 28 students and the rest being parents and some faculty and staff,” Ta said. “We learned that this week was a very busy week not only for the students and school, but also for the parents, so [there] were slightly less donations this year.”
The school will host a second blood drive in the spring of 2024.
Theresa Ta • Dec 13, 2023 at 2:04 pm
Just want to point out: although less people registered as donors this year, we had a good turnout of walk-ins, and we are very proud of those students who came in to donate.