When people think of a superhero, this image usually comes to mind — someone fighting crime, dressed in a spandex bodysuit, with a small mask over their eyes, and a cape flowing majestically in the wind behind them. Typically in the colors red, blue, and sometimes yellow. Maybe there’s even a trusty sidekick in the wings.

However, heroes are much more common than the exceptional comic book character. Heroes save lives — just like NASH students did this past Thursday.

On March 14, 2019, the Central Blood Bank visited NASH to conduct a blood drive in association with the Physical Education Department. According to the Central Blood Bank, in the past decade, blood donations in the United States as a whole have dropped 26%. Many areas in the country, including western Pennsylvania, are in dire need of blood for their supply, and in times of crisis, are forced to borrow blood from other blood banks, which takes time to transport.

Donors have decreased for many reasons — increasing health issues, phobias of needles, or simply a lack of time to donate. To accommodate for the lack of donors, the Central Blood Bank turns to the students every year, since mass blood drives like this are the best way for the Bank to acquire blood. Additionally, it allows for no excuses regarding the inconvenience of donating — all the students were able to donate during the school day in the NASH gym.

“The whole process was surprisingly easy and laid back, and it’s cool to know that my blood might help to save someone’s life,” junior Emma Sieminski said.

218 North Allegheny juniors and seniors initially signed up to donate blood and picked time slots that ran from 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM. The process began with a brief but thorough check-up to be deemed eligible to donate to actually giving blood and ended with snacks following donation to replenish energy. The donation area was arranged in two rows with chairs where students could lie back, relax, and talk to their friends while nurses tended to them.

The feelings of fulfillment were shared by many of the students who donated. When only one donor provides one pint of blood, it is enough to give transfusions to three different people.

“It felt really good to donate my blood because there’s someone out there who needs it, and I was able to help them,” junior Olivia Mensch said. “And a perk was that we got cookies after.”

Although only 126 of the original 218 enrolled donors arrived to give blood (likely due to absences or other events that prevented students from donating) and 19 students were turned away due to health issues or recent traveling that made their blood inviable, 107 pints of blood were collected to help approximately 321 people in the western Pennsylvania area.

“Our goal every year is 100 pints, so I’m happy that we achieved that again this year,” physical education teacher Pamela Kohlmann said.

In the end, the Central Blood Bank’s blood drive was a true demonstration of how we can all be heroes in our everyday lives.