“Save a life, give blood,” is the message inspiring students to donate the gift of life at the DMAE fall blood drive. Held in the common area from 9 to 1:30 in the afternoon on Monday, Dec. 10, 2018, the event was organized by DMAE’s National Honor Society (NHS) and the Red Cross and attracted more than 70 student and staff donors.

“Donating blood is probably one of the most rewarding things you can do on campus as a student. While it isn’t the most pleasant experience, you really feel like you are doing something right,” junior Madeline Sorbanelli explained.

A single pint of blood taken from a donor can save up to three lives. To assist in the regular demand for blood, students and staff come together twice a year, making it a major school wide donation event. This year, DMAE was able to successfully collect 40 pints of blood in a six hour period: an unmatched success.

“It is very heartening to see all of our students so engaged in such an important event. The number of students who wanted to donate exceeded the capacity of the Red Cross. The Red Cross workers said that they love coming to our school and that our students are great,” NHS supervisor and Dorothy McClelland stated.

However, not all students were not eligible to give blood. Donors had to be at least 16 years old and weigh at least 120 pounds with normal iron levels. If tattooed, the donor needed proof it was at a certified New Jersey establishment. Additionally, a donor could not have traveled to the Dominican Republic, Columbia, England, or Mexico in the past six months, nor be a sexually active homosexual male. This year, over 30 students had to be turned away for these reasons.

“I don’t think there are many ill feelings held by the people who were not able to give blood, some of the rules may be old-fashioned but there are reasons that they are there,” junior Ashley Choi said.

NHS and Red Cross would like to thank both DMAE students and staff who spent time and energy to donate. The second 2018-2019 DMAE Blood Drive will be held on June 5, 2019.