Interact Club hosted its second blood drive of the year in honor of freshman Kayden Saxon, who has Sickle Cell Anemia, an inherited red blood cell disorder.

“I frequently email with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, and [their coordinator] said that she would like to do the next blood drive in honor of [Kayden’s] condition,” Britney Robles, president of Interact Club said. “He is alive thanks to the blood transfusions that he receives at Texas Children’s Hospital.”

Robles and club officers begin preparations for their four blood drives prior to the school year. They choose blood drive dates and coordinate with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. As president, Robles creates sign up sheets and advertisements for the event.

“[Interact Club members] get to school at 6:30 in the morning,” Robles said. “We help the blood drive center unload their vans. Then, we help them set up a proper food table. Sometimes we have blood drive officers go out during lunch and recruit people to donate blood.”
Robles was unable to donate blood herself, but plans to donate when she turns 18.

“I do it for people like my family,” Robles said. “Because my little sister and my mother would not have survived if other people hadn’t donated blood.”

Robles believes that there “isn’t enough outreach” for blood drives.

“There aren’t that many people that actually see it as important to donate blood,” Robles said. “it’s actually a really important thing to do because you can save a lot of lives with it.”

Senior Flynn Collins donated blood for the first time at the event.

“I think it’s important to donate blood because I think at times some people can really take their health as a given,” Collins said. “There are a lot of people our age and older [or] younger who struggle with their health and these blood donations can really help them out.”

To participate in future blood drives or keep up with Interact Club, follow the club on Instagram @interact.bellaire.