Superintendent Jeffrey J. Marsden and Thomas Blake Middle School Principal Nat Vaughn are pleased to share that students recently hosted their most successful blood drive in the initiative’s 11-year history.
“Words can’t fully express my gratitude for being part of such an incredible community,” said social studies teacher and blood drive coordinator Cynthia McClelland. “Once again, Medfield has exceeded expectations.”
More than 20 students volunteered to help orchestrate the blood drive, from planning to implementation.
More than 100 donors gave 102 pints of blood on January 20, a new record for the Thomas Blake Middle School Blood Drive.
Past volunteers, now high school students, continued the tradition of returning to Blake to help the blood drive run smoothly.
“After they leave, they keep coming back,” said McClelland. “I tell the students that if they join in middle school, then they’re always welcome to come back, all the way up to their senior year. The older students are there to be mentors or role models. And I’m very proud that two of our high schoolers have gone on to run their very own drives.”
The older students work closely with the middle-schoolers, from donor check-in to post-donation recovery.
“Thanks to support from school administrators and the community’s response, we’ve reached an all-time high in donations, surpassing our long-standing goal of 100 donors,” said McClelland. “This year, we collected an amazing 102 pints, something we’ve been striving for over the past 11 years.”
Last year, they came close, collecting 95 pints, a 10-year high for the blood drive. This year, they toppled the record.
"We’re immensely proud of our students for organizing and pulling off such a successful and vital event," Principal Vaughn said. "Credit also needs to be given to our blood drive coordinator Cynthia McClelland. Cynthia has helped to enshrine this blood drive as one of Thomas Blake Middle School’s most cherished traditions."
Organizers intentionally scheduled the Blood Drive for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 20. The school's goal has always been to teach students that MLK Day should be a "day on" and not a day off.
“We’ve found this blood drive, on that day, has been a really great way to give back to the community," McClelland said.
An American Red Cross regional vice president stopped by this year’s blood drive to witness the students’ efforts first-hand.
“We’ve received amazing support from the community,” said McClelland. “Donors make reservations in advance, and we’ve had a very low cancellation rate.”
Students led the overall blood drive effort, creating posters to promote the event, and even providing baked goods for donors in the recovery room. They also manned a blood drive day care, which allowed parents who wanted to give blood but needed someone to watch their little ones.
“I feel like in this day and age, kids think that doing things or changing the world is all about social media and hitting the like button,” said McClelland. “This blood drive teaches them that’s not reality. Doing something like this is a rare opportunity for kids this age to safely do something hands-on where they are very quickly seeing the results of all their hard work.”
