Nica Jurlando (285)

On October 29, 2025, the blood drive co-chairs and committee of Central’s 285th graduating class held their first blood drive of the year. Every year, four students are selected to become blood drive co-chairs, who then choose a group of their peers to make up the committee that will assist in hosting the drive. There are three drives per year: one in the fall, one in winter, and one at the end of spring, with the entire blood drive initiative being sponsored by and run in conjunction with the American Red Cross. The current blood drive co-chairs are Jake Benny (285), Grace John (285), Aldara Madden (285), and Elana Maser (285), supported by a committee of twelve students.

The October blood drive was preceded by almost-daily advisory meetings, endless promotion, and continuous communication that worked to have the blood drive run as smoothly as possible the day of. The hard work and stress of the co-chairs and committee paid off – the blood drive collected eighty-two pints of blood, processed over eighty donors, and saved over two hundred and forty lives, as told by sponsor Mr. Horwits. According to the 285 co-chairs, this is more than the final blood drive held by the 284 committee.

Co-chairs, committee, and donors alike loved the energy the blood drive brought this year. This was certainly thanks to the upbeat music blasting in the first floor main hallway and the snack table for blood drive members and donors to help themselves to. Co-Chair Aldara said, “I really liked how hype it was, like I loved our whole setup with the music and the snacks… It was just such a cool vibe, and I feel like that makes people kind of want to contribute to it, be a part of it, whether it’s donating or maybe wanting to be a part of the committee next year.” The importance of keeping the drive high-energy was shared by committee member Isabella Schwartz (285), who said, “The whole environment of it really attracts people [into] wanting to donate blood… the way that it’s presented just makes a very big impact on spreading its message and getting people to donate.”

Aldara spoke highly about communication with the Red Cross after difficulties with the organization’s coordination on the 29th; specifically, many were concerned about the number of beds, with all co-chairs agreeing that the drive would benefit from more beds for donors next time. Beds are used during drives for donors to lie on while their blood is drawn, so a large amount of beds increases the amount of donors that can be tended to at one time, thus improving efficiency. “We all have very high hopes for the next blood drive and how it might be different… at least getting more beds. So, I hope that happens,” Aldara expressed when asked about any difficulties faced on the 29th.  

In speaking with any member of the blood drive, one thing becomes clear: the drive is important not only through its donations to the Red Cross, but also through the community involvement it fosters at Central. When asked about the drive’s community benefits, Aldara responded, “It’s something that the entire school takes part of… it’s such a cool cause, and it gives kids – students like myself – an actual way to make a difference.” Isabella agreed with this sentiment and added, “It gives an opportunity for people as young as an age as us – you know, high school students – to be able to make a difference and show how doing these little acts of support… can make [such a difference] in the community.”

Both Isabella and Aldara acknowledged the exceptional nature of the opportunity to be involved in the blood drive, crediting Central for enabling students to participate. As stated by Aldara, “No kid is gonna think, ‘I’m gonna run a blood drive at my school,’ but there’s a framing already there, so it gives people the opportunity to take part in that,” meaning Central has already set up the opportunity before students even begin involvement. Similarly, Isabella said, “At Central, in general, we get exposure to so many different things at a younger age than [at] a lot of different schools, and I think that [the] blood drive is a perfect example of that.” 

When asked what has been the most gratifying aspect of the drive, Isabella said, “It’s hard to remember how much of a difference the blood drive makes, because we’re saving the lives of people we don’t really know.” The blood drive team will continue to work throughout the year to make each drive better than the last and to promote even more involvement from Central. Many love to take part because – in the words of Isabella – “it’s so important and it’s really rewarding.”