After two years of absence due to COVID-19, the blood drive returned to Olathe West on Wednesday. Each donation helps at least three people and can go towards anything needed by medical staff. 

Senior StuCo Sohpie Struck was the committee chair for the blood drive, and was a donor herself. 

 “I was wanting to donate blood for a while because my grandma had cancer and blood transfusions helped her throughout her battle with cancer,” Struck said. “Since we were hosting a blood drive, it was the perfect time for me to finally donate. I donated because I wanted to help save other people’s lives and to do my share.”

Planning an event like this takes time and communication throughout the entire process. Everything needs to be precise. 

“We have been planning this blood drive for a little less than a month, we started as soon as homecoming was over,” Struck said. “Normally we would have a longer time frame to plan but this year was super busy and didn’t have much time to plan.”

As she has been working on the blood drive for a while, Struck has made the day a success, having sign ups full for the drive. 

A mix of emotions flurries through people not only donating, but volunteering for the blood drive as well. Junior Olivia White donated blood as well. 

“My emotions towards giving blood was just me being excited and eager to help out and contribute,” White said. 

There can be a number of reasons for students and staff to donate.

“The reason why I decided to donate blood was because I’m not really scared of needles or blood and I thought it was easy to help people,” White said. 

Giving blood is no small task. Students and faculty were giving one to two pints at a time, taking a toll on each physically, with common symptoms involving dizziness, nausea, and fainting. 

The students working on the drive wanted to make it as successful as possible. Everyone wanted to make the event run smoothly, especially because of the importance and impact on people. 

“My overall experience was great, we haven’t had a blood drive since freshman year but I love this event and I think it’s important to help others in need and give back to the community,” Struck said. “It was a little stressful because I try to make sure everything is perfect, me and several other people put in numerous hours to make this blood drive successful.”