Every year, Bloomfield Hills Student Leadership hosts a blood drive in partnership with Versiti in order to support their efforts and encourage student and staff donations. This year, another successful drive was held on Wednesday, November 6, in the media center.
Versiti, the partnering blood center, has issued an emergency blood appeal for donations this year; summer donations hit critically low numbers, marking the season as the lowest donation count of the year. Considering the staggering 25% plummet in blood supply in the US, blood drives are incredibly beneficial and vital, now, more than ever.
This November, Student Leadership was able to address this fundamental need.
This year’s blood drive committee was led by seniors Anna Rubel and Madison Broad. They were responsible for taking measures to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
“I was in charge of checking in people at the front,” said Rubel. “The planning process was straightforward, but we also worked to let the students know that there was a blood drive and that we would like participation because it helps people and saves lives.”
To organize the drive, a few students from each grade from Student leadership class advertise the drive, assist with setup, check people in, and ensure the smoothness of the drive.
Preparing these drives takes coordination from both the partnering center as well as the students preparing the conditions.
“It’s super cool seeing students doing that [donating],” said Rubel. “ I like being able to give people the opportunity to do this because, I guess without the planning, there would be no drive in general.”
Versiti provides the necessary equipment as well as the trained medical staff who do the actual blood collection, while Student Leadership assists in the organizing, advertising, setup, and support throughout the drive.
“The drive was good,” senior and 3-time donor Elisa Mina said. “I had to wait a little bit in line before, but then after that, it was nice and easy.”
A positive experience is crucial to encourage repeat donations, especially during times of critical need when only about 3% of age-eligible donors go through to donate.
This year’s blood drive at BHHS was a tremendous success, not only meeting but exceeding the goals set for the event. Donor turnout was strong, with 33 students and staff signing up, and 15 first-time donors participating. This success means the drive has helped save 76 lives.
By coming together, BHHS student leadership, community members, and volunteers were able to make a significant impact, helping to alleviate the critical blood shortage and saving numerous lives in the process.
Want to donate? Our next Blood Drive will be on April 23, 2025, or visit Versiti.org to learn more.
