On Friday, March 27, students and faculty of Padua Academy took part in the blood drive led by Padua’s National Honors Society. Students above the age of 17 and who weighed at least 110 pounds were eligible to participate in the event, and many of those people chose to do so and make a difference in someones life by donating their blood. The blood that was donated during this event benefited the Blood Bank of Delmarva, and the bank received more than 50 units of blood just on Friday alone.

In my opinion, I believe this event was a perfect way for students and faculty members to sacrifice something in order to benefit someone else’s life. The process did not take a very long time, but the end result of the blood drive was great and can go towards helping many people. This event truly encompasses the mission of our school by doing a service without having to give up a large amount of time.

Caitlyn Duffy (’18) stated, “I think the blood drive was great because the people that participated were able to give to those who needed it. I plan on giving blood when I become eligible.” Olivia Filandro (‘18) suggests that the blood drive would be more beneficial if it were to take place outside of school. She said, “Although the blood drive is an awesome event to help those who need it, I think that it would be better if it were held outside of school hours so students wouldn’t have to miss class time. Also, losing blood can sometimes have negative side effects such as dizziness, so handling this outside of school could be easier.”

Overall, I believe that Padua is always looking for ways to reach out to others, and this event is just another great example of that. When I turn 17, I definitely will be donating blood to the drive.