Elmsford Students Give Gift of Life
Tables were pushed aside, partitions set up to provide privacy, and outdoor lounge chairs served as gurneys in the library at the Alexander Hamilton Middle High School, site of the sixth annual Elmsford UFSD Blood Drive.
quot;It was my first time volunteering and it was fun,quot; said 10th grader Zuleima Maz, who helped donors to and from the resting area - tables strewn with candy and juice boxes and flanked by cushioned chairs. Donors were escorted in case they felt faint after they gave blood.
Hudson Valley Blood Services provided the phlebotomists and material to conduct AHHS's service event, which attracted 29 donors from within the school and Elmsford community. The process for donors included registration, a "mini physical," blood donation (a 7-10 minute procedure during which the donor relaxes while the bag is being filled), and a time of rest (to enjoy refreshments and allow the body to adjust to the slight decrease in fluid volume).
Members of the Interact Club, the high school's division of Rotary International, helped to organize the blood drive. Students 16 years of age and older were able to give blood.
"I never did this before,quot; said student donor Anthony Lopez, who wore the tourniquet quot;badge of couragequot; that excused him from any heavy lifting for the day. "It makes me feel good that people are getting blood."