by Kassidy Spurgin
Wednesday, October 22, the Clarke Community High School student council organized a blood drive in conjunction with LifeServe Blood Center in the wrestling room. LifeServe Blood Center provides blood and blood products to over a 100 hospitals across Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Clarke Student Council members helped out by working the cantines and preparing registrations throughout the day whenever they had study halls or open hours.
There were 33 donors out of a total 38 volunteers. Nine donors gave double red (only red blood cell portion of blood), saving two lives each time. Twenty-four donors gave whole blood, which saves about three lives each time. There were a total of about 90 lives saved by Clarke students, staff, and other community members that day.
According to lifeservebloodcenter.org, persons at least 16 years of age and at least 120 pounds are eligible to donate. One unit of blood has 3 components: red blood cells, plasma and platelets. Multiple lab tests are done on donated blood checking for disease or abnormalities before being transfused . More than 3,000 units of blood are needed each week to meet the needs of people across the country.
The student council will be organizing another blood drive around February and will be registering student and staff a few weeks before hand. Become a donor to save lives and eat free food.
Alexa DeVore, Gordon Witt, Morgan Bailey, and Taylor Earhart volunteer at the blood drive.
CCHS Student Chief 