SMW Blood Drive Follow-Up

By MICHELLE HO

Staff Writer

Starting off the year with an altruistic deed, Seniors of Merit and Work (SMW) hosted the UCLA Blood Drive on Jan. 17. The blood drive was held from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the North Gym, allowing those who are 17-years-old and above to donate their blood as volunteers.

Senior Celena Fu, one of the people who volunteered to donate said, “I’ve always wanted to donate blood and possibly help someone, so this was my decision.”

Upon entering the gym, students were walked through the procedure to donate blood. Ms. Rita Wilkins, one of the SMW advisors, who ran the blood drive with UCLA, explained this process.

“Before [Winter] Break, we started signing people up for the blood drive in the ASB office. [Students] had to turn in packets with their parents’ permission to be able to donate,” said Ms. Wilkins. “Students then get processed through UCLA and do a confidential history alone, and then sit one-on-one with a UCLA staff member who goes over everything and makes sure they are eligible to donate blood.”

“Before [the donation] I was nervous,” said junior Nyla Harding. “Afterwards, though, I was calm and pretty chill.”

With 12 stations that the phlebotomists worked at, the blood donors usually did not have to wait long to donate.

Arcadia, CA 91006