Every two seconds, there is someone in need of blood. According to the Community Blood Center, 4-5 million people in the U.S. need a blood transfusion each year. It’s running through every human body, but fewer than 5% of the population in the U.S. donates blood.

To combat this issue the Service Squad hosted their annual blood drive Monday, Feb. 13. Students ages 16 and up, as well as and faculty and staff members, had the opportunity to donate their blood to the Red Cross.

Service Squad members Ella Dorfman (’25) and Jordanna Boxer Wachler (’24) said participants filled almost all of the available time slots from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Stations were set up in the Zeller Student Center, and three people could donate their blood at once. To help students prepare, the Red Cross recommended eating a hearty breakfast and drinking plenty of fluids before their time to feel minimal effects from donation.

Students who were interested in donating blood needed parental consent if they were 16, and female donors had to meet certain health requirements, such as being above 110 lbs. Service Learning Coordinator Margaret Shirk said the regulations for students donating blood is much stricter in a high school setting because the Red Cross wants to have fewer adverse effects on students.

As an incentive to donate blood, the Red Cross offered merchandise as well as $10 Amazon gift cards to those who donated. Fitness and Human Development instructor Natalie Chambers said that students and faculty could fill out health information and register online, which increased convenience. Chambers donated blood, and she said the entire process took no longer than 15 minutes and was flawless.

“Donating blood means saving lives,” Chambers said. “I know my [blood type] is a very important blood type to have to help people, and my mom said to always give back and and help.”

The Service Squad has worked with the Red Cross before on drives and service work. Service Squad members from grades 10 to 12, such as Boxer Wachler, welcomed donors at the doors to the Zeller Student Center.

“It’s not a big inconvenience to the people themselves, but the impact they’re making comes back in tenfold,” Boxer Wachler said. “We see so many natural disasters that are just more and more frequent, and the blood goes out to these people who are in desperate need, and it makes such a difference in our community.”

According to the Community Blood Center, donating a small amount of blood can have a large impact. One pint is enough to save three lives. Shirk said after the natural disaster in Turkey and Syria and after the Monterey Park shooting, the Red Cross’s blood donations have been a critical component in helping those in need.

“I think that a lot of young people in particular are frustrated with what they see around them, and, so, donating blood is one an easy step to make a difference and especially with tragedy,” Shirk said. “[Donating blood] is a real, tangible way to make a difference and to help victims.”