ASKS recently hosted its semi-annual blood drive with the Blood Bank of Hawaii at Kamehameha about a month ago.

On Halloween of this year, juniors, seniors, and adults at KS lined up to help save lives by donating their blood. Each student was able to save three lives in the process of donating one pint of his/her blood. The process is quick, as appointments last around 30 minutes. In addition, donors were provided with snacks such as lemon bars, kalua pig sliders, and brownies to sustain them throughout the donation.

According to ASKS Executive Director Douglas Finnegan, approximately 50 students participated on each day of the blood drive, totaling about 110 KS donors over two days.

“The outcome of our blood drive was quite positive. We were able to meet the Hawaii Blood Bank’s goal for both days, and help to save hundreds of lives,” said Finnegan.

While the process of donating blood was positive for most, some students had minor issues. Senior Keola Kanno was unable to complete a full blood donation due to a blood clot that formed.

“I got a hematoma so they had to stop, and I couldn’t finish the bag,” said Kanno.

While there was a wide range of reactions to donating blood, a few students reacted to the fact that they could not donate. The age requirement largely limits donors to mostly seniors and some juniors; donors must be 18 years old or 17 years old with a parent’s consent.

Senior Hi’ilani Hopkins, who was 16 at the time of the blood drive said, “I was really bummed that I couldn’t donate. I think they should allow any student to donate with parent consent.”

Looking ahead, ASKS is planning to host its next blood drive in March 2017.

Finnegan hopes to top the outcome from this past blood drive. “It’s all about saving lives and helping the community.”