The bright yellow sticker labeled "First Time Donor" worn by students throughout the Buchanan High School campus is not just an emblem of pride. “I just wanted to let everyone know that I did something to help the community,” junior Salish Harrison says.
Every January, Buchanan stands for much more than education. The annual Matt Mueller Memorial Blood and Bone Marrow Drive, hosted by the school and recognized as the largest high school blood drive in California, “brings our community together,” says Christine Tessler, an advanced- placement American history teacher at Buchanan and Mueller’s widow.Mueller, Buchanan’s first activities director and originator of the blood drive, died in September 2000. Since his passing, the blood drive has continued to thrive in numbers and impact. “He drew a big crowd,” Tessler says. “A lot of people did it in honor of him. ... It became a tradition.”And much of its success has been credited to upperclassmen, first-time donors eager to save lives and give back to their community. “I think they are the main force. It spreads that tradition,” Tessler says. “My birthday is two days before the blood drive. ... I feel it is my rite of passage, when I turn 17, to donate blood,” says Kelsey Gagliardi, a junior who co-coordinated the blood drive. Not all high school students are naturally enthused to go out of their way to give blood for the first time in their lives. While the donation process takes only an hour, the decision process requires much more contemplation. Health concerns, athletics and even the fear that one’s iron level might be too low to donate blood are common aspects that arise when deciding whether to donate.“The reward of donating blood outweighs the stress over deciding whether or not to donate,” Gagliardi says.Even if students discover they are not suited to donate blood when they show up, it’s the thought that counts — that they wanted to give back to the community.“I was really nervous because I had never donated before,” junior Irene Rios said. “I knew I was contributing to something good, though, and that helped get through it.” According to the American Red Cross, by age 72, 97% of people will have required a blood transfusion, but only 5% will actually give blood.Given this statistic, senior Devyn Graham, a member of the school’s water polo and swim teams, is determined to make a difference: “I feel like I need to do my part.”Some view donating blood as common sense, due to both its convenience and immediate impact on people. “It’s the simplest way to save lives,” Rios says.Others look to long-term aspirations to guide their motivation to donate.“I want to be a doctor, and I thought this was a good way to start helping people,” Harrison says. Still, many students may be nervous about donating. The final obstacle one faces when deciding to give blood is the process itself. The anxiety of gazing endlessly at the needles — and even the stories of students who have seemingly come close to fainting — run through first-time donors’ minds as they draw nearer to the tables.“Afterwards, I felt really relaxed and accomplished,” Rios says.“The only thing I was worried about was fainting and making a fool of myself,” Harrison adds. “My arm felt cold when I was donating, but other than that, I felt fine.”Some contend the donation process is no sweat when the message is clear. “It’s not like it’s going to kill me to donate blood,” junior Sophia Daud says. “And from donating, I am helping to save a life. … I am healthy and I am constantly pumping this stuff. So why not share some?”One pint of blood donated, according to the Red Cross, saves up to three lives.“It’s not based on the bland idea that you’re extracting blood from yourself,” Daud says. “It’s more of the age old idea of helping a fellow human being: ‘Treat others as you would want to be treated.’ ”And it’s this idea that many agree unites our community in a common purpose — to save lives.“How great is it to say that this is the largest high school blood drive in the state? It’s a great feeling,” Tessler says. Stephen Zelezny attends Buchanan High School.