The Auxiliary Gym was clotted with students donating blood for the Community Blood Center on February 17. Anyone 16 and older was able to participate. 

   LHS has been doing the blood drive every year since 1978, which is the longest standing blood drive in Missouri. It’s the largest single-day blood drive in the KC metro and one of the largest in the state. LHS has set many records for the state and Midwest high school blood drives.

   “Every day, KC and the surrounding counties use a pint of blood. This includes surgeries, accidents and people undergoing chemotherapy for cancer,”AP Biology teacher Rick Knowles said. He has been running the blood drive at LHS for twenty years. “Every pint can be split up to give the plasma to one patient and the red blood cells to another, so when you donate, you’re saving two lives!”  Anyone who has had cancer, battling anemia, or has a surgery in the KC metro area, they are most likely to get donated blood from a Community Blood Center. 25% of all the blood that are stored there are from high schools. 

   “I am lucky to work with some very bright and talented student volunteers and that is the only reason we have been so successful.  I am proud to help save lives every year,” Knowles said.

   The blood drive isn’t just run by Knowles, but also by volunteer students. The seniors and juniors in the AP Biology classes help run the blood drive.

   “It provides blood for the community and also raises awareness. The best time to donate blood is every day since blood is needed everyday. Even if people don’t donate the day of it still raises awareness about the importance of donating blood,” senior Jacklyn Drewry said. “I recommend students donate blood because obviously it helps the community, but it also makes people who have never done it before see that it’s not actually that bad. It encourages people to donate blood in the future.” 

   The blood drive draws one pint from each student. That pint is guaranteed to save two lives. According to the American Red Cross and the American Cancer society, more than 1.69 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. A lot of these people will have to go through surgeries that will cause them to need blood, which the students not only from Liberty, but from schools nationwide can give. 

  One sophomore who participated was Jake Hill. He also thinks that the blood drive is a great cause. 

  “I think that anyone who’s healthy enough to do it should because it’s a good cause,” Hill said.

   There’s a lot of work that goes into preparing for the blood drive. It takes days to make sure everything is right and to have the medical equipment.

  “It takes a big amount of work to run the drive,” junior Allison Myers said. “AP Biology has to organize the entire drive and run it. We had to get students to sign up and make the master schedule for students to donate. We had to make the signs to hang around school, get the water bottles to hand out the day before and so much more the day of the drive, including getting students from each class and directing them through where they need to go for donation.”

   For some people, the blood drawing process might be a little intimidating, but it’s actually short and painless, taking about two minutes.

   “I haven’t ever donated blood before, but I have had it drawn before,” junior Miles Allan said. “Obviously it’s a little scary. I mean there is a needle in your arm, but it doesn’t really hurt. You just need to be sure that you’re well hydrated and you won’t feel much of anything. Also, remember who the blood can help and whatever fear you do have becomes minuscule.”