The Chapel Hill High School Red Cross club held its annual Thanksgiving blood drive November 20.
Students gathered in the lower gym to donate from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Junior Ambika Gaur, the club’s president, stressed the importance of the drive.
“Currently, the U.S. is in a blood crisis and an organ shortage, so we wanted to do something on our part to help alleviate this issue,” she said.
Of the 51 students that donated blood, 36 were first-time donors. The junior class had the most donors, according to Gaur.
Students over the age of 16 were eligible to donate with parental permission provided they were at least 110 pounds and physically healthy.
Senior Nicole Bell donates blood every time the club hosts a drive.
“Every year, I see so many compassionate students giving up a part of their day to contribute to something bigger,” Bell said. “I understand that not everyone is able to [donate], but a little blood can go a long way.”
In all, the club collected 43 pints of blood, compared to last year’s Thanksgiving drive total of 36 pints.
“We did come up a little short, [as] our goal was 52 pints of blood,” Gaur said. “This isn’t unusual however, since many students hope to donate but are deferred.”
The club is preparing to host another blood drive in the spring and encourages new and previous donors to return.
