Cierra Lyles (283)

This September, 283 hosted their first Blood Drive. Every year, the seniors run this event in partnership with the American Red Cross. This year’s Co-Chairs—Alyssa Siji, Cierra Lyles, Athulya Siju, and Hiba Imad—were all very excited to see how well it went and how smoothly their committee of seventeen handled this special day.

As a Blood Drive Co-Chair, I had an interesting experience heading this tradition. The day of the drive, especially the first one, was notoriously known for being hectic, and this one was no exception. From start to finish, my fellow Co-Chairs and I were running around trying to figure out solutions to unexpected problems. However, we were able to think quickly on our feet and manage every situation that arose. 

Our committee worked above and beyond throughout the day: checking people in, organizing appointments, providing donors with snacks, and making sure everyone received their limited-edition shirt at checkout. A special shout-out goes to our check-in crew—Frank Bevenour, Emma Chrismer, Bobo Yuen, Aviva Weisz, Thao (Annie) Tran, and Natalie Quinn—who were all extremely efficient when it came to making sure appointments were in order and that everyone was situated in their respective places. Another well-deserved thank you goes to William Gross, our volunteer EMT for the day who saved multiple people from passing out after giving blood. 

Overall, the drive was exceptionally successful! All together, Central provided the Red Cross with eighty-four pints of blood, helping our school save 252 lives! We hope to beat this number at our next drive on February 13th, 2024. At this drive, we will have special prizes and surprises happening, including a new Blood Drive Mascot. We hope to see you there!