On Monday last week, VMA held their Community Blood Bank Drive. This was a well-run event, chaired by Carissa Dunham, Taylor Morey, Maddie Hess, Emmalene Rosenberg, Chloe Brugger, Allison Koca, Bella Taraski, Marlen Shaba, and Dayonna Swanson. 

There were 29 donors screened and 21 units of blood were collected. This will help 63 different people in need of a blood transfusion! Experiences were pretty good altogether, especially from Anna Skinner, class of 2022. Skinner’s reasoning for donating blood is a pretty unique one compared to most teenagers in high school. 

“I chose to donate blood because the reason why I am still alive today is because of donated blood to me,” she said. “I wanted to return the favor.”

She explained that she had a good experience donating blood even though she was nervous before she went through the procedure. 

“I was very scared about getting pricked with a needle, but it ended up not being as bad as I thought,” Anna said. “The nurses were so nice and helpful.”

Anna Skinner wants to urge anyone who is able to donate blood! It is a great way to give back to the community and help others in need. 

If you would like to donate blood, search the Community Blood Bank in Erie, PA and find out which drive you can make it to.