By Mary O’KEEFE

On Tuesday Crescenta Valley High School held a blood drive for the American Cancer Society.  The Associated Student Body at the urging of member Hannah Park sponsored the drive.
“We [CVHS] have had blood drives in the past.  I just wanted to hold another one,” Park said.
Students had to be at least 17-years-old and have their parents written permission to give blood.  About 80 students signed up to donate blood.
Jacob Glaze volunteered to help with the drive.
“This is my third blood drive in the past [couple of weeks],” he said.
The volunteering began as a college class requirement but Glaze has continued to help after completing the required hours.
“It is just a way to give back to the community,” he added.
Glaze wrote a thesis on how important it is to give blood.  In his opening statement he wrote, “Every minute of every day someone needs blood.  That blood can only come from a volunteer donor.  A person like you who makes the choice to donate.”
Susan Jacobson of the American Red Cross was on hand to supervise the donations.
“Thirty-eight percent of the population is eligible to donate blood.  Nationally five percent does and in Southern California it is only about two to three percent.  We have to import 25% of our blood,” she said.
CVHS junior Dillon Winter-Mares gave blood for the first time on Tuesday. He was not really worried about the process.
“It is a way to help people.  Plus I get to listen to my iPod,” he added.
School rules keep iPods out of the hands of students while on campus but during the blood drive that rule was bent.
It was a win win situation for students who got to get out of class, lay back and listen to their iPods and the American Red Cross in building their blood supply.

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