Every two seconds someone in America needs blood.

One donation can save up to three lives.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced blood donations worldwide.

It’s always important to donate blood, especially now. During the outbreak of COVID-19, there was a shortage of blood because donating centers were shut down.

Each year HOSA plans two blood drives to help the community. The original blood drive plans were cancelled due to COVID regulations, but the school ended up hosting one in early December. Instead of having a large event in the gym, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center came to the PAC with buses.

“One of the biggest differences is that donors are on a bus this year instead of in the gym,” senior HOSA treasurer Emily Kilgo said. “The gym was like a hospital setting but this one is a little more condensed, and there’s not as many stations.”

HOSA had to cancel the november blood drive due to the need for social distancing. Because it has become so hard to donate blood, it was important for everyone to donate what they could. 

“We are doing a blood drive with the use of coaches that the gulf coast brings and allows for fewer patients to donate with spacing built in,” HOSA sponsor Katrina King said. “We will not see as many donors but there is a tremendous shortage of blood at this time so we are doing our part to help our local hospitals with blood supply. Due to COVID-19, people are not going out and donating and most of the local schools and businesses have cancelled their blood drives and there currently is a grave need.”

This way of donating blood gives the students in HOSA new experiences and opportunities in the medical field. 

“It was really cool that we got to do the blood drive this way,” senior HOSA reporter Roselynn Ponce said. “We’re only teenagers and we got the gulf coast to come to our school and do this. It’s important to give blood because it saves lives in our own community and helps a lot of people because blood drives have stopped due to COVID-19.”