Giving Instead of Receiving

By: Kara R. '15

Girls smile while giving blood

       Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” On December 16^th, just in time for the holiday season, NDA students were able to put Churchill’s words into action as they participated in this year’s Blood Drive.  The Blood Drive is hosted annually by the National Honor Society and proudly sponsored by Staten Island University Hospital. Nurses from SIUH were on hand to draw blood and many student volunteers were there to give donors snacks and moral support as they prepared to donate. Students sixteen and older were able to give the greatest gift of all: the gift of life.  For them, giving blood was a way to give back to the community before Christmas. Although many first-time donors were nervous, all of those who participated felt great about being able to donate life-saving blood. Dani Weisman ('14) remarked, “My mom always needed blood when she was in the hospital so it’s a good way to give back to all the people who helped her.” Students waited for their turn to donate in the Arts and Humanities Building as Maura Timmins, the SIUH Blood Donor Recruiter, thanked NDA students for their selfless donations.  Ms. Timmins remarked, “The turnout was absolutely wonderful. It’s a great time of year to have donations because many people are so busy preparing for the holidays. It’s very important for our blood bank to have an adequate supply of blood for the year.” As always, NDA students were very generous with their time and we can be sure that next year will have a just as great, if not better, turnout.