By Sophia Flanagan and Gracie Holtby
On Tuesday, November 9, the Saratoga Springs High School National Honor Society held a blood drive for the American Red Cross in the school’s teaching auditorium.
Senior Katherine Hachenski was the blood drive coordinator for the event. Hachenski volunteers every month, helping with blood drives she can find around the Capital Region.
“I have a strong interest in the nursing and medical field. I love helping people,” said Hachenski. “I also volunteer with Red Cross regularly throughout the summer, so it’s been a really great experience.”
Many people, from cancer patients to those with traumatic injuries, require blood transfusions. According to the Red Cross Blood website, a civilian in the United States requires blood every two seconds. Since blood and platelets cannot be manufactured, they must be donated by volunteers at blood drives.
“The blood drive is a wonderful opportunity for the community to volunteer and contribute back to other people,” said Hachenski.
Service is one of the four pillars of the National Honor Society and donating blood to help others is one of the ways students demonstrate one of the club’s core values.
Members of the SSHS community were eager to participate in the event. All 108 slots were filled, which can save over 300 lives, according to Hachenski.
If you are a student or faculty member who meets the requirements for blood donation, consider signing up to donate at the next blood drive in February.
“Every time someone donates blood, they are saving up to three lives which is a really big deal and obviously contributes to other people’s lives,” said Hachenski.
Edit: The previous version of this post mistakenly spelled “National Honor Society” incorrectly.