A Drive to Save Lives

Legacy seniors Haley Jones (left) and McKenzie Johnson (right)
donating blood for the first time.

Saving a life can be as easy as donating a little bit of your time—and blood. That’s what students at Legacy High School discovered.

The school’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) group partnered with Carter BloodCare to organize a blood drive Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Lashandra Bible, a representative for Carter BloodCare, said drives like the one held at Legacy are very important to the organization’s blood bank supply.

“The majority of the blood we get comes from our high schools. We get dozens of participants from schools all across North Texas. We’ve gotten over 1,000 donors in one day at certain locations.”

A few of the high school participants were first-time donors who wanted to take advantage of the yearly event.

“I wasn’t old enough last year [to give blood without consent],” said McKenzie Johnson, senior at Legacy. "This year, I wanted to come out and make a difference because I know my blood will help someone in need. It’s for a good cause.”

Carter BloodCare needs 1,100 donors daily to keep up with supply. Approximately one pint of blood is drawn from each donor, and the procedure takes about five to 10 minutes.

For those who are too needle-shy to go out and give blood, senior Haley Jones gave some words of advice.

“Don’t think of your fears. Just think of the lives that you’ll be saving.”

For more information on the blood donation center nearest you, visit the Carter BloodCare website.