Career Academy students hope people will roll up their sleeves to help save a life.
On May 10th, the Career Academies will host the first Atlantis Charter High School Blood Drive for the American Red Cross.
Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets and most of us will need blood in our lifetime. The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately three units, but a single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. This, coupled with the fact that red blood cells must be used within 42 days or less—and platelets must be used in just five days—means the demand for blood never stops.
“One of my close family members had become very ill, and in a matter of one week, he was transfused 7 times to stabilize him,” said Medical Academy instructor Jennifer Santos. “Without blood donors’ donations, my family member may not have survived his circumstances. This is why donating blood is so important because you can’t anticipate what tomorrow will bring.”
Santos reached out to host a blood drive at the school. It’s one of several biomedical learning-in-action opportunities offered by the American Red Cross for high school students to gain volunteer hours, service learning, leadership and career skills.
“This blood drive is not only a way for our students to make a difference in their community, but it is also a great learning opportunity for them,” said Robert Perry, Director of the Career Academies. “All of the Career Academy students will play a role in the blood drive and gain valuable leadership and planning skills.”
Students in the Medical Academy will be involved in patient intake, information distribution, and patient monitoring. STEM Academy students are using the 3D printers to create Tritons keychains for all blood donors. The Media Arts Academy is filming a promotional video and creating t-shirts for all students staffing the event. The Business Academy is assisting with marketing by creating signage and other promotional materials for the event. The Teaching and Social Service Academy is creating a questionnaire for donors to complete.
The blood drive will be held in the Tritons Gymnasium from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on May 10th. It is open to parents, family, friends and the public. Please call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: ACHS to schedule an appointment. Donors can save up to 15 minutes on the day of their appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questions on the day of their appointment.
Click here to view flyer: Atlantis Charter High School Blood Drive – May 10th
