November 19th marked the day the American Red Cross Blood Drive returned to Xavier. A tri-annual event, the Xavier-Red Cross Blood Drive provides an opportunity for both faculty and students to give blood and save lives. Xavier students – Austin Carter, Sean O’Sullivan, Nick Salamone, Aiden Sesta, and Jaycek Simko – assisted in setting up, organizing, and managing the blood drive in collaboration with Science Department Chair Mr. David Applegate ‘98. The event ran from 8:00 a.m. to roughly 1:00 p.m., with a total of 54 members of the Xavier community participating as donors.
As a whole, the drive surpassed its initial goal of 41 units (pints), collecting an impressive total of 54 units. Patrick Pluck, a junior at Xavier High School, shared his thoughts about donating: “I felt good because donating blood is a good thing to do. I love helping people in need.” Aiden Sesta, a senior who helped organize and manage the event, added, “The blood drive is a fun and meaningful way to help others, and I am honored to be a part of it.” At the blood drive, donors were first signed in, screened, and then laid down for collection for roughly ten minutes each. After the blood was taken, the volunteers were escorted to a rest area where they received an assortment of refreshments and snacks, as well as two awesome pairs of Friends-themed American Red Cross socks.
The Red Cross is expected to come back to Xavier on March 12, 2025 – a “B” day in reference to the Xavier schedule – and again sometime in June. Mr. Applegate said this about the drive and donating blood: “It’s always nice to give an opportunity to students to help others, and their generosity is never absent.” To further encourage students to sign up, here are a few quick facts to show just how important your donation could be:
- Every two seconds in the United States, a patient needs blood.
- A single car accident victim can require as many as one hundred pints of blood.
- A single blood donation can save up to three different lives.
- The Red Cross is responsible for collecting and distributing roughly 40% of the world’s collected blood supply.
The American Red Cross only comes to Xavier two to three times per school year. Donating blood, a truly compassionate act for someone you may never know, is a great opportunity to make a real difference in someone’s life.
Start signing up for the March 12th blood drive if you have not already!
For info: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/what-happens-to-donated-blood.html