Many tend to associate blood with hurt. In our case, we associate it with help! More specifically, helping to save lives.
On February 21st, 2025, Kaiser High School’s Blood Drive occurred inside of the library from 7:50 am to 3:00 pm. During this time, students & teachers would walk in and draw blood, which can then be donated to those in need.
The reasons for needing blood will obviously vary depending on the situation, but the most common reasons include serious injuries where lots of blood is lost, operational services, burns, Leukemia (Blood Cancer) or Anemia, Organ Transplants, etc.
This is where the Blood Drive comes into play, as donors can have blood drawn from their bodies and stored at the Blood Bank of Hawaii until it is eventually needed by someone else.
“Here in Hawaii, High School Blood Drives bring in 11% of the state’s overall blood supply,” according to Donor Services Senior Recruiter, Traci Takehara. “This is very important because only 2% of Hawaii’s population actually donates blood, so it is very important that we teach the younger generation how important it is to step up and learn about the importance of donating blood.”
The process itself isn’t very complicated. Upon entering, a donor must fill out some paperwork, and their vitals are checked. This includes their pulse, blood pressure, temperature, iron, etc. If they are able to pass all of that, they lie on a donation bed. Takehara continues to explain the actual donation process “The blood donation part is about 10 minutes or less, we ask them to rest, and then we provide them with snacks afterwards, as well.” A donor can save up to three lives with just one blood donation.
The majority of the donated blood will remain in the state of Hawaii. “We need at least 150-200 donors a day in order to meet the demands of our local hospitals,” Takehara explains, “and we at Blood Bank of Hawaii are the only blood center here in Hawaii, and we service all the islands.
We also decided to take the time to interview some of the student donors as well.
Oliver Costello mentions that he chose to draw blood since he likes helping out other people.
. His friend Merik Chun provides the same reason.
According to Costello, the blood is drawn from their body and put into a centrifuge. This is where the plasma is extracted from the red blood cells. The red blood cells are then placed in a bag and the plasma is returned to the donor. Chun adds that their blood was drawn from their finger.
Of course, with all this blood being drawn from the body, the donor is going to feel lightly unwell for a while. “You feel a little wiped out,” according to Costello. “It takes about 2 weeks to recover from this.”
Now, don’t fret! If you weren’t able to donate blood this year, the blood drive will probably return to Kaiser sometime in the future. While the exact date of its inevitable comeback is unknown, both Costello and Chun would gladly donate blood again if they got the chance to.
Note that all donors must be at least 16 years of age, and any donors that are 16 or 17 must receive consent from a parent or guardian before the donation process can even take effect.
While it’s great that blood is being donated to our blood banks, more is always welcome! Again, The Blood Bank of Hawaii is the state’s only blood center, and could really use some help. You can even donate blood outside of the Kaiser Blood Drive.
The Blood Bank of Hawaii’s website mentions that they are always open, as they need at least 200 blood donors a day. Thankfully, there’s almost always at least one blood drive going on. While the suggested pain may drive people away from the idea of donating blood, it should be known that this blood- your blood can be life-saving, and will save another person from even more excruciating pain. If that person ever ends up being you, just know that someone else gave their blood, so it could be given to save you.
