SHHS community gives blood for a good cause
By: Brandon Seltenrich ’16
On Thursday, January 8, members of Blood Centers of the Pacific came to our very own Stuart Hall High School to draw blood from the most generous students and faculty among us. Our community has taken part in this important service for the past several years, and it reflects well on our school community when there is a big turnout of students willing to donate blood for a larger cause. I took it upon myself to ask one of the key coordinators in having Blood Centers of the Pacific come to our school every year, Mr. O’Connor, a few questions about what the blood drive is to Stuart Hall:
1. Why does SHHS choose to participate in the blood drive?
“It is said that donating blood saves three lives. It’s a profound yet simple service to donate one’s blood to save a life. The question really isn’t why Stuart Hall offers blood drives but why so many other organizations don’t. Blood supplies are always critically low and this does not bode well for us when we experience disasters like earthquakes.
2. What does it mean to you (and our community in general) that so many students came forward to donate blood?
This past blood drive, ten students donated for the first time – remarkable! This openness to give and confront fears of needles helps them to become life-long donors and, therefore, life-long life savers. Let’s not forget those who keep on donating. We had students who donated at every blood drive once they were of age.
3. What does participating in different community services such as the blood drive mean for and reflect about our school and its goals?
I think most students know of Goal Three, “A social awareness that impels to action.” We, as a community of the Sacred Heart, have a fundamental responsibility to discover and reveal the love of God. When we reach out to others in service we offer the gift of ourselves. It is then that we come to know who we are, what love is, and who God is. In doing so, we make a difference – a positive difference, a healing difference. This is service: The gift of myself to others, to all living things.
Well, there you have it, straight from Mr. O’Connor on why we do the blood drive and what it means for us. Cheers to another successful one and we look forward to many more in the future!