Harwood student spring blood drive may also help COVID-19 patients
April 17, 2021 | By Sidney BewlayHarwood Union High School’s bi-annual Red Cross blood drive returns to Waterbury on Wednesday, April 28, with the usual goal to help replenish the community’s blood supply and the added bonus that donations this year could help those battling COVID-19.
The Red Cross has an urgent need for all blood types. Harwood students will host a drive April 28 in Waterbury. Photo courtesy American Red Cross
Organized by the Harwood Student Government and the student Rotary Interact Service Club, the drive will set up at St. Leo’s parish hall behind St. Andrew Catholic Church, 109 S. Main St.
Individuals who have had COVID-19 are highly encouraged to participate. That’s because antibodies present in their blood can be used to help current patients recover from the virus. This only works with those who have had the virus — being vaccinated will not pass along the necessary antibodies.
As always, the Red Cross needs blood donations with an urgent need for all blood types, especially O+ (the most common) and O- (the universal donor).
Red Cross account recruiter and Harwood alumna Kathleen Luce says that “every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood; we draw about 2.6 million donations a year. Forty-five percent of the population or their family will need blood at some point in their lives, so our job is a balancing game of collecting blood and meeting that need.”
Luce described donating as a “drop in the pond that causes a big ripple.” Donating one pint of blood can help up to three people and is used within 7-10 days, she said.
Over the past 15 years, the student-organized blood drive at Harwood has served not only as a good source of donations for the Red Cross but also as an important service project for students in the community.
“Introducing high school students to the habit of becoming a blood donor through an on-site drive is a great way to develop a life-long donor and the students find this as an overwhelmingly important project for the community,” said Ellen Berrings, faculty advisor to the Harwood Rotary Interact Club.
The generosity of donors is especially important now, as blood donations have dropped off tremendously in the past year due to COVID-19, according to the Red Cross. However, Luce said, “New England has had a humbling outpouring of people donating to and volunteering with the Red Cross, despite the lack of high school, college, and business-driven blood drives.”
Harwood senior and Rotary Interact Club president Ellett Merriman compared making a blood donation to eventually getting the COVID-19 vaccine: “I think that this year is really important and everyone is already getting stuck by a needle at some point soon, so what’s doing it one more time as a donation? I am afraid of needles and I’m doing it!”
Merriman said students thought it was important to hold the drive this year despite the pandemic. “We could have easily pushed it aside. It shows how strong of a community we are as students and how we want to help and make this work,” she said.
The drive will include several extra steps to ensure that everyone is COVID- safe.
Upon arrival, donors will first get a temperature check, then register, and then donate.
All donors and volunteers are required to wear a mask, surfaces will be wiped down, and volunteers will change gloves between donors. Organizers say the goal is to make the entire experience as touchless as possible. Throughout, everyone is expected to maintain social distancing as well.
First-time donors, especially younger donors, are strongly encouraged to sit for 10 to 15 minutes post-blood draw to make sure that they recover quickly. A snack and juice or water will still be provided to all donors, however this year, all food items must be packaged by the Red Cross.
In planning the blood drive, Merriman, Luce, and Berrings have all worked together to educate Harwood students on the importance and logistics of donating. Merriman has helped run numerous Zoom meetings with other members of the club to brainstorm ways to raise awareness both in school and in the community.
Despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, Merriman said she is hopeful for a good turnout for donations. “It helps that with the pandemic people are looking for things to do. It’s a good eye-opener and an easy way to get involved in the community,” she said.
Luce stresses that donors make an appointment ahead of time. While walk-ins are accepted, appointments help to manage distancing and time.
New this year for the entire month of April, all donors ages 16-24 will receive a $10 e-gift card for donating as a way to help motivate new donors. The Red Cross also has an app that can be downloaded for free from the App Store and on Google Play. It tracks a donor’s blood type, number of donations, when they are eligible to donate again, and it reports the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in completed donations.
Other important details:
Donors must be 16 or older; 16-year-olds need permission from a parent or guardian. There are height and weight requirements on the Red Cross website for donors aged 16-19. More details pertaining to students can be found online here.
Donors who are 16 must register through either Kathleen Luce or Ellen Berrings. Parents or guardians cannot register for them. Contact Luce at 802-557-7474; Harwood students are encouraged to contact Berrings at EBerrings@huusd.org.
All others over 16 are asked to make an appointment online. Details for the Harwood drive are online here.