Wadsworth High School’s National Honors Society is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a yearly blood drive, which will take place on February 22, in which students can volunteer to give blood. Sign-ups took place on February 8, in the senior commons, in which all students, ages 16 and up, had the option to join the cause by selecting a specific time slot to donate during.

Getting around 80-100 donors each time, this blood drive has grown to be a large project that creates an extensive impact within the community. Despite its size, the NHS has taken a key initiative in running the entire program.

“This is one of the largest blood drives in the county,” said Nate Singleton, co-adviser of NHS. “We do everything from running it, to recruiting it, to providing the food and drinks for the canteen. The only thing we don’t do is draw blood”. 

According to Ada Wagner, a member of NHS, hosting this blood drive helps the community in an important way. 

“Each blood donation saves three lives,” said Wagner. “It’s really important that we give our blood to the people who need it in an emergency situation”.

Many students share this belief, emphasizing the importance of donating blood.

“So many people are in need of blood,” said Hannah Hoffman, a junior at Wadsworth High School. “They need donors of all ages.” 

Beyond saving lives, the blood drives provide an immense benefit to the seniors of WHS.

“This is how we form the scholarship fund for the National Honors Society,” said Singleton. “Each pint equates to a dollar amount by the Red Cross, so between the two blood drives, we can raise around $2,000 for our seniors”.

Overall, Wadsworth High School’s annual blood drive has become a prominent way in which Wadsworth students can give back to their community.