by Lillyana Simas
Pilgrim High School had its first blood drive of the 2026-2027 school year on Friday, September 25th. This was led by Mr. Lalonde, one of Pilgrims Phys. Ed. teachers.
80 students donated blood, surpassing the goal, as usually about 50-60 students sign up. The Pilgrim blood drives last from 8AM-2PM, and it usually takes about 45 minutes for a student to get done.
Pilgrim has been doing these for a very long time, and Mr. Lalonde decided to take these blood drives over. When asked why, he said, “I really liked the idea of the blood drives and what they do, so when the past teacher who ran them retired, I volunteered to start doing them.” With four blood drives planned for each school year, students, faculty and staff are also always happy to come together, donate, and help. This includes Mr. Lalonde, who mentioned that he usually donates at the blood drives whenever he can.
After someone donates blood, it gets taken to a hospital. It gets tested, which takes 48 hours, and a machine separates the blood into three parts. It is sectioned by the plasma, red blood cells, and platelets. The blood goes through separate test tubes for screening to look for blood type, diseases, etc. Sometimes these three sections can help or save three different people. Other times, if someone is in a severe situation or has lost a lot of blood, all three parts will go to one person.
Not all 80 students will have blood that is able to be donated after being tested. This is due to things like blood pressure, iron, weight, and other existing factors. Mr. Lalonde explained that the minimum age is 16 years old due to the fact that 16 is usually the time when students begin to meet the requirements like weight, iron, and all the other factors necessary to successfully and safely donate.
With the first blood drive of the year being a success, there are many more to come and we hope to see many more donations in the future. If you’re 16 years old or above, consider donating and helping someone in need! Take pride in helping others, and support the blood drives even if you aren’t able to donate yet!
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