by: Sherlin Gonzalez

SANFORD – Lee County High School has held its fair share of blood drives in the past, but not one that partners with the school.

The blood drive taking place Tuesday will be done with the help of Blood Connection. This organization engages students who donate and partners with the school to give money back. 

The organizer of the blood drive, Angela McDaniel, is in charge of all the details as well as her students at NAF academy. They are the Academy of Life Sciences. She hopes to set up a blood drive each semester to help with the blood shortage across the nation.

“Our purpose, hopefully each semester, is to have blood drives that will collect units of blood that we can disperse here in Lee County and all across North Carolina need be for people that need units of blood,” McDaniel explained.

The Blood Connection blood drive will give the blood units to people who need them, but will also make sure to give back to the school and the students who donate.

“Each year that they give, they work towards making scholarship money, they can earn honor cords, and they get to participate in programs during the Blood Connection,” McDaniel said. “They can earn money towards graduation and money goes back to the school. That’s something we don’t see with the Red Cross, engaging, partnering with the school.”

Once the campaign for the blood drive takes place, QR codes will be set up for anyone above the age of 16 to sign up. This includes any teachers, ancillary staff, anyone that works in the cafeteria, any of the custodial staff, and bus drivers. 

 Students who are interested in donating, but are 16 will have to fill out a permission slip and turn it in to McDaniel.

Buses similar to the ones used for traveling outside of ths school will be brought in the morning. Students will later be called when it’s their donation time.

“It takes about 20 minutes to have the completed process to donate a unit of blood, they’ll be refreshments offered and we will monitor the person who donates for a few minutes after you’ve donated to make sure you feel okay,” McDaniel said.

The blood drive will help many people in need. “Thousands of people that need it. We’re hoping that this makes a big impact in our community,” McDaniel said.