More than 100 Walt Whitman students literally rolled up their sleeves to help save lives by donating blood during the school’s annual Spring Blood Drive on March 7th in the South Gym.  It’s one of two blood drives the senior class sponsors every school year - in November and again in March - a community service project that’s been going on for more than 20 years.  With help from the staff of New York Blood Center (NYBC), 117 pints of blood were collected making Walt Whitman one of NYBC’s top donor high schools once again.  

Principal Dr. John Murphy says the giving spirit of his students never ceases to amaze him.  “I have such a compassionate and empathetic student body. They're very giving of their time, of their energies and just to help their community. So there is a blood shortage across the state and the country. These students always rise to the occasion, even though they might be a little nervous [about giving blood], they're always willing to say, ‘How can I help somebody else?’” said Dr. Murphy.

Even though some students are nervous about needles, senior class advisor Mrs. Diane Zamow knows what it takes to get students to turn out every year and roll up their sleeves.  “The secret is in the bagels they get after giving blood, and the cookies and juice,” shared Mrs. Zamow.  “We play music, we let them hang out in the gym. I don’t send them right back to class. We create a culture of fun in our spirit of giving.” 

The senior class officers and blood drive captains all volunteered to help the NYBC staff keep the process rolling from registration to donation to aftercare, checking to make sure donors got their snack and juice in the recovery area. Gracie DeMarinis was one of the blood drive captains and was especially interested in the blood donation process because she wants to go into the medical field.  She got to practice her bedside manner.  “Some people are unfamiliar with the process of donating blood, so you help them out with that. You also have to make sure everyone gets from the donating blood site to the resting site calmly. It's important. No one passes out. You have to make sure everyone's feeling okay. Everyone's drinking water, everyone's eating,” explained Gracie.

Donors have to be in good health and 17 years or older, or 16 with a parent or guardian’s written consent.  According to NYBC, close to 2,000 donations are needed each day for patients in the New York/New Jersey area.  One pint of blood can save three lives.  Transfusions are needed by cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, newborn babies, transplant recipients, surgery patients, and many more.

Thank you to Mrs. Zamow, our senior class officers, and our blood drive captains for organizing and running this important event for our community.  And big thanks to our donors who literally gave a part of themselves to help others!

Blood Drive Captains: (* denotes class officer) Lindsay Alms*, Grace Blaney, Kiara Bonilla, Dylan Bonner*, Madison Caiazzo, Erin Conlon*, Julia Dean, Gracie DeMarinis, Sara Duffy*, Shea Gannon, Angelina Gonzalez, Anna Isernia*, Ryan Johnstone*, Jennah Kinanane, Olivia Knudsen, Leah Lamay, Abigail Laregina, Nathan Lublin, Allie Lynde, Ryan Maiorana, Stephanie Melendez*, Maggie Motherway, Aliza Nadeem, Luke Predetti, Harpreet Rattu*, Sofia Reichhold*, Julia Rombaldi,  Grace Saks*, Inayah Sheik, Jexon Sorto, Ethan Thody, Ava Tulipano*, Chris Umana