Richard Montgomery High School held its annual blood drive on Wednesday, February 21, 2018. Blood drives are an important way to support the RM community and beyond, as they help maintain a safe blood supply. The blood donated by students and staff during the blood drive could be lifesaving for people who need transfusions.

“Every year we do a blood drive sponsored by SGA and Inova comes out and they control – they run it for us, and then we just help do the small logistical stuff,” said senior Jonathan Kim. He continued, “Every time you donate a pint you save three lives, and also we have a bunch of natural disasters going on so it helps with that.”

The mission of Inova blood services is “to provide a safe and adequate blood supply for patients in the diverse community we serve.” In addition to donors and volunteers, INOVA relies on community sponsors, sports partnerships, local media agencies and team members to carry out its mission.

Many students were excused from one of their classes to donate blood, and they did so for different reasons.

“I wanted to save three lives. It was a fun experience, I had a lot of fun, I thought about how beneficial it would be to other people, so that’s what kept me through the pain, and it wasn’t even that painful,” said senior JJ Lai.

Other students, however, had a more difficult time dealing with the pain of getting blood drawn.

“I wanted to see what the after effects felt like,” said junior Isaiah Frederick. I’m lightheaded and it’s hard to breathe. I’d say, if you’re doing this, eat a lot of food at the beginning of the day and don’t do a lot of stuff because you might faint.”

Inova blood donor services must collect 200 units a day from blood, plasma, platelets, and double red cell donors to support the needs of the community. Students who wish to donate again or for the first time can visit the Inova website and make an appointment to donate blood.

Featured photo courtesy of Inova Blood Donor Services.