Alex Losson
Staff Writer
Student Government members held the biannual UCLA Blood Drive in Fisher Gym on Thursday November 10 to help cancer patients and those in need.
Although the overall Mira Costa record for the amount of donors is 214, an outstanding 209 donors participated in this year’s event. Initially, 423 donors signed up, but 300 showed up to the pretests for blood donations.
“The record of 209 was definitely a testament of how awesome our school is,”Activities Director Lisa Claypoole said. “Although, we are always trying to break the 214 goal.”
Each participant donated one pint of blood, which has the ability to save three different lives. These donations go to the UCLA Medical Center where they perform blood and platelet transfusions. The donations can also go to older people as well as those who are in intense medical care.
“I think it’s really good that the school is doing something to save other people’s lives,” senior Scott Berman said. “Our school really put itself out there and it’s a nice thing for everyone to do.”
The donors are required to fill out a self-screening form, which mandates the basics of a minimum weight of 110 pounds, and a minimum age of 17, with no requirement of parental consent and this year 86 people were unable to give blood due to these requirements. The donors must answer specific questions regarding medication, pregnancy, travels to foreign countries, surgeries, tattoos and piercings, and any sexually transmitted diseases.
“It was professional and productive,” senior Eric Soderquist said. “After I had given a lot of blood I felt lightheaded but everyone was helpful in providing me food and water afterwards.”
The participants were required to go to class after donating if they felt healthy enough to do so. The drive was done in two days and it had gotten more donors then a majority of other schools. UCLA chooses to have their Blood Drive in the spring because more people are eligible, versus American Red Cross, whose blood drive takes place one day in the fall. Post-donation the donors are given food, water, and AMC movie passes. The workers made sure that all donors were treated right and that everything went by smoothly.
“UCLA is a regional and year round group,” Claypoole said. “American Red Cross does it on a national level. UCLA is faster and more organized, which is good because kids go to more classes.”
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