Blake Middle School Students Host Successful 12th Annual Blood Drive

Blake students greet donors at the check-in table, where they fill out the paperwork necessary to donate blood. (Photo Courtesy Medfield Public Schools)

MEDFIELD — Thomas Blake Middle School hosted its 12th annual blood drive on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, collecting 94 pints of blood from community members and high school students.

The event, held on Jan. 19, was coordinated by a Blood Drive Committee made up of Blake students and high school alumni and overseen by social studies teacher Cynthia McClelland.

Student oversaw nearly every aspect of the event, from running the check-in table to monitoring the recovery area. They also organized on-site child care, allowing parents to donate while their young children were present.

Planning for the blood drive begins well before the event itself. Committee members conduct community outreach to recruit donors, contact team parents and create flyers and posters to promote the drive.

The committee also receives assistance from high school students, many of whom first volunteered while attending Blake and return each year to help. They serve as mentors to the middle school students and take on expanded responsibilities as they grow older. This year, one high school student even independently ran her own blood drive.

While McClelland serves as the blood drive coordinator, students are given primary responsibility for running the event, with staff support provided as needed.

“The students on the Blood Drive Committee do an outstanding job organizing this event,” McClelland said. “The 94 pints of blood collected can save up to 282 lives. This event truly makes a difference in our community, and I want to thank the students who take initiative in organizing it, as well as the high schoolers who continue to return each year. I also want to thank the Medfield community for always supporting the blood drive.”

The blood drive is held annually on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as Medfield embraces MLK Day as a day of service, rather than one to be taken off. 

“I want to congratulate the Blood Drive Committee on another successful year,” said Principal Nat Vaughn. “Their commitment to helping others is inspiring, and it’s meaningful to see students and community members come together for this cause each year. I also want to thank Cynthia McClelland for consistently empowering students to lead and serve their community.”

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After donating blood, participants visited Blake students at the recovery area and chose a snack to boost blood sugar levels and replenish lost fluids. (Photo Courtesy Medfield Public Schools)

Blake students decorate signs for the blood drive’s day care, where parents were able to drop off their young children off while they donated blood. (Photo Courtesy Medfield Public Schools)