On a week in September, the Red Cross held one of its many blood drives. People from all walks of life came to donate blood. It didn’t matter if you were a student or an outsider, all blood was accepted. There were people there who donated for the first time, and others who had donated 100 times. These unsung heroes came together for one purpose. They wanted to help people. To donate blood is not something everyone can do. But these people willingly handed a part of themselves over, in order to save another. It is an act that is not easily done.

The nurses in the room moved efficiently, gathering the patients one by one for a quick questionnaire. They asked if they had been out of the country or had any diseases. These awkward questions are needed to see if one is fit to donate a pint of blood. From the questionnaire, the subjects are taken to tables where they are laid down and drained of blood. It takes a different amount of time for each person. When done, their blood is take and put in a cooler. From there, the patient is moved to a table and handed sugary foods and drinks to help restore them to health.

When all’s said and done, the patient leaves. They are told not to do strenuous activity for the rest of the day. They are also told to wear a sticker. The sticker tells people that this person gave blood. This person is a hero. That they will save someone’s life one day. As the unsung hero leaves Big Blue to carry out the rest of their day, they feel good, and they know that they made a difference, one blood bag at a time.