The Minnesota Honor Society is comprised of four pillars – character, leadership, scholarship, and service. Most recently, members of the chapter had an opportunity to further their development of these pillars through sponsoring the Red Cross blood drive on December 14th in the high school gym.
This annual tradition provides students, staff, and community members with a chance to help others in need, especially as the holiday season is quickly approaching. As teacher and coach, Zak Hanegraaf, a regular donor, mentioned, “I donate because I can. There always seems to a blood shortage and this is a simple thing I can do to help others.”
For many students, this is their first opportunity to donate blood. Although it can bring about a great deal of anxiousness and uncertainty, many first-time donors have an enjoyable experience and are left with a sense of pride in their opportunity to give back. As Joiser Cruz Ortiz, a first-time donor stated, “I had a great experience. It felt really good that I could help save someone else’s life. The snacks afterwards were great too!”
Overall, the event was very well attended. In total, there were 52 people registered to give blood at the drive, 17 of which were first-time donors. MHS is looking forward to hosting an additional blood drive in the spring on April 26th. Please mark your calendars as we would love to surpass our prior attendance. By working together, we can inspire others through helping those in need.
