Article by Phoenix writer Kevin Kirley ’25:
On May 8, 2024, Kellenberg hosted the annual blood drive for the junior class. A total of 132 students showed up to donate their blood for this great cause. These blood drives are held annually at Kellenberg. The senior blood drive normally takes place in February, while the junior blood drive is usually in May, giving students two opportunities to donate.
Ninety-five juniors donated their whole blood units through the traditional way. Additionally, 37 generous students donated blood using the ALYX machine, contributing a total of 74 units of blood. The ALYX donation process is more rigorous, requiring the student to give blood for an extended amount of time. The machine collects two units of red blood cells instead of one. Junior Lucas Sheehan shared his thoughts on giving blood, saying, “I’m happy that I was able to give back and save lives.”
The units of blood donated by the Juniors stay local in the New York, Long Island area, as there is a current blood shortage in our region. The blood that is donated is used within the first 24 hours after it’s been given. The 169 units of blood donated are used to save a total of 507 lives in a day’s worth of time.
Special thanks are given to the New York Blood Center for collecting the donations and Mrs. Finn for making this wonderful experience possible. Mrs. Finn has been running the Kellenberg blood drives since 2003. Over the past 21 years, she has run a total of 42 blood drives, and the Kellenberg community cannot thank her enough.
