BY ISABELLE BRAUN
From high school students and staff to community members, people throughout the community helped the Hays High Red Cross Club collect 69 units of blood at the blood drive on Nov. 12.
“69 successful donations happened,” Red Cross Club co-sponsor Jayme Goetz said. “One donation can save up to three lives.”
Hays High senior Paige PolifkaDenson donated for the first time at the Nov. 12 donation date. PolifkaDenson said she’s wanted to donate in the past but was too young. “I gave blood because I feel like it’s a little thing I can do that’s pretty easy,” PolifkaDenson said. “It has a positive impact.”
Goetz has been a co-sponsor of Red Cross Club since 2015-16 when Hays High graduate Cordelia Isbell started it and asked her to lead. The club took the blood drives over from Student Council.
“The blood drives are really good because they help kids see that blood drives are not that scary,” Goetz said. “Donating blood is not a big deal, and it can create a really healthy routine from early on, so hopefully they can become lifelong donors.”
To donate, students must be over 17 to donate without parent permission and 16 with parent permission to donate. They must also meet a set of requirements to donate, which can be found on the Red Cross website.
Hays High junior Camry Young begins the donation process. This was Young’s second time donating. “I just decided I wanted to help those in need,” Young said.
The next blood drive is set for March 5 at Hays High. For this blood drive, Hays High will be competing against Great Bend to collect the most blood.
“We have a signup online we will be sending out (for those who wish to donate in the spring),” Goetz said.
For those wishing to donate before then, donations can be made any time at the American Red Cross Donation Center in Hays.