The sound of nurses and the many members Student Council rustling around, has come once again. The annual blood drive was held on Oct. 28, and although the importance of donating blood is not taken lightly, this year its meaning increased drastically.

The student body united to help one of their own, Walter Lembeck. In the summer of 2014, Lembeck was diagnosed with aplastic anemia which drains his energy, and can cause uncontrollable bleeding. Student Council, by working countless hours to prepare, has found a way to allow Lembeck to receive some of the donated blood.

“We are going to have a blood supply for [Lembeck] specifically, so that he can have as much as he needs.” said StuCo president Jacquelyn Sicilia. “The rest will be donated to local hospitals or any other blood banks.”

There are many hoops to jump through when planning a blood drive. The amount of details that need to be settled are not seen by the students. The members of Student Council worked countless hours, preparing, emailing, and attending early morning meetings to prepare this blood drive in an efficient way. Their focus and inspiration came mainly from Lembeck.

“Walter Lembeck is why we are doing it. We were going to do it anyway, but he’s definitely a driving force for the reason why everyone wanted to do it so much,” said Sicilia.

The staff and Student Council members worked hard to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. Providing snacks, drinks, and fun colored bandages to all the donors, the beauty could be seen in the details. Senior Trevor Nemnich was pleasantly surprised when he arrived to donate blood. His experience has improved since last year’s blood drive.

“I liked this years better than last years. The nurses weren’t as nice last year. They were very straight forward and blunt.” said Nemnich. “I got jabbed twice last year. This year I only got jabbed once.”

Overall, the blood drive was considered a success by both Student Council, and the students who donated blood. It was a day that brought students together. It was a day that they all gave just a little bit of themselves, in order to do something for others.