On Friday, December 16th, Oakdale’s Red Cross club and National Honor Society, NHS, hosted a blood drive. The drive collected blood from OHS students over the age of sixteen, who met the minimum weight requirements and were in overall good health. Students of any age need parental permission to donate blood to the Blood Drive.

The Blood Drive provided participating students a chance to earn service hours through either donating blood or donating their time to help ensure the Blood Drive ran smoothly. Oakdale teacher, Jennifer Cole, describes the benefits the donated blood provides: “There are so many needs for blood: for transfusions, for different therapies for diseases and cancers, for accident victims. The benefit is that you are helping someone, which is what is most  important.”

With many uses and benefits to donating blood, it is especially important in today’s society. Senior and Red Cross club president, Abigail Walsh, explains, “There is a national, and critical blood shortage in the United states. Every two seconds, someone needs blood.” Although Oakdale’s blood drive was on the smaller side, the school did its part in providing a valuable necessity in a time of need. 

While the use of the donated blood varies widely based on the amounts given and type of blood, donors who have an account with the Red Cross will be notified when and where their blood’s being used. 

Over the past ten years, Oakdale’s Red Cross club and National Honor Society have hosted many blood drives, in fact they typically have two per year. Walsh claims, “The Blood Drive is the Red Cross Club’s largest event of the year.” Whilst Oakdale has a history of smaller blood drives, each drive still collected enough units  necessary to continue hosting the drives. 

All in all, the Red Cross Club and National Honor Society hosted another successful blood drive. Which allowed Oakdale students to give back in more ways than one to a much needed cause.