Bruins were pumped to help the community through blood drive.
On Monday, February 6, Bear River hosted a blood drive put on by Blood Source where students gave blood to patients in need.
Stephanie Lacy, a Phlebotomist for Blood Source, talked about the blood drive.
“It’s just like trying to get the community to come out and show support for some of my patients that need blood products,” she said. “You have to be at least sixteen years of age with parent consent.”
Lacy explained the effects giving blood has on your body.
“The only after effects that are most common is people start to feel light headed or dizzy or nauseous at the summit, which is natural,” she stated. “But as long as you drink fluids and eat real well, you’ll do fine.”
Grace Tortorici, a senior, talked about organizing the drive.
“Everyday for about three weeks before the blood drive, we sit out at lunch and you get sign ups for everyone,” she said. “If you’re under eighteen, you need a permission slip filled out by your parents and they need to sign up for a time.”
Tortorici explained how everything works.
“Every donation takes out a pint of blood for every person and that blood is able to save three people’s lives,” she said. “The first time you can feel nauseous, or just light headed, and some people pass out, but it’s rare and it’s only if you don’t eat well.”
Alyssa Telles, a Junior, talked about what the blood drive is.
“The blood drive is through Blood Source and it’s to help get blood for people who need it,” she stated. “The hospitals and stuff, they’re always really low on blood and so they come to the school for the sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen year olds so they can get a lot of people to donate.”
“Well, we organize it through leadership,” Telles explained. “We go through school and we have people sign up and once you sign up, you get a time and if you’re under eighteen, you can come in. Then you have to have your parents sign a permission slip for you and then you come and get a t-shirt and you go in and get interviewed and then sit down and donate. It helps people, specifically in hospitals, that need blood and that are low on blood.”
Telles confessed how she got inspired to donate herself.
“I personally like doing it because my dad always donates and that inspired me to come and do it,” she said. “At the school I was like perfect because I donate outside of school but it’s great because I get to help in school too. I personally don’t usually feel any after affects I mean I’m usually perfectly fine.”
