Senior Destiny Beauchamp lays down on the bench and watches as the nurse from Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center wraps the elastic band around her arm to push the veins to the surface.

“I’m so nervous I’m ready to pass out, but I’m okay because I’m doing a good thing,” said Beauchamp, one of 43 students who gave blood at the HOSA blood drive on September 15.

The turnout wasn’t nearly up to HOSA’s expectations. They believe the cause of the bad turnout was the type of forms provided for people to sign up and give blood.

“This caused everything to become unorganized and caused confusion,” said Rachel Robare who was running the sign-in table. Many of K-Park’s students run the blood drive and keep things running as smoothly as possible.

One pint of blood can be split into three components — plasma, platelets and red blood cells — potentially changing the lives of three patients forever. Every donation counts.

Robare and the HOSA staff hope for the next drive in November will have a better turnout, helping them save as many lives as possible.