By Kelly Schoessling

Managing Editor

Senior Auggie Barbosa wasn’t nervous at all when he attended the annual blood drive at Prospect March 8. In fact, Barbosa was excited to provide his own donation, considering it was his fourth time donating to the foundation.

“I look forward [to donating],” Barbosa said. “It’s actually kind of cool seeing the whole process. I just like the fact knowing I can help somebody live.”

However, Barbosa was not the only PHS student to give blood. According to Service Club head David Jacobson, the drive had collected an estimated 60 donors by 2:45 p.m. and was in the process of reaching its goal of 70 donors before the drive ended at 4 p.m.

According to Jacobson, he specifically looks forward to interacting with the families as well as students of the school.

“I think it’s good to open up our school to the community and have not just students but community members come in and give blood [as well],” Jacobson said.

He also believes the event is essential in the creation of life saving habits for students to carry on with in their future.

“To start getting our students to give blood at a young age and hopefully continue doing that throughout their lives is important to me,” Jacobson said.

Senior Shannon Koch, who has worked at the event every year for Service Club as well as donated herself this fall, also agrees donating as a teenager is important.

“When you start at an early age, later on in life you can donate more blood, and by getting the experience [while you’re in highschool] helps you see [what donating blood] is really like so you don’t regret it when you’re older,” Koch said.

Ultimately, with an estimated three lives saved for every pint of blood donated by the 60 donors, the blood drive gave students and community members an opportunity to save lives.

“[The most rewarding part is] just knowing that your blood is going to be used to help somebody who has maybe been in an accident or is getting treated for something, and seeing people come back,” Jacobson said.