By Mia’ Drake

On Monday and Tuesday, Aztecs kept up the tradition of their annual blood drive and stunned the community with another large collection. According to Student Council Adviser Theresa May, students and teachers donated over 237 units of blood, potentially saving up to 711 lives.

The students had a mixture of experiences about donating.

“This is my second-year taking blood, this year wasn’t as great as last year,” Senior Alessandra Muniz said.

Another student, who gave blood for the first time, enjoyed the experience and felt as if she was doing a good deed.

“It’s a heart-warming feeling to know I’m saving three people’s lives,” Senior Jorge Soto said.

For Soto, knowing he’s giving back to the community is the most rewarding feeling, and he will donate again when the time comes

Even though, the whole process is tedious and somewhat unsettling, the aftermath of donating is such a gratifying experience.

There will be another opportunity for students to donate blood later this year. Students must be 17 years or older to donate. If a student is 16, they can bring a parent permission slip in advance. Some tips for anyone wanting to donate blood would be to eat before and after donating to avoid dizziness or feeling nauseous. Also, drink plenty of fluids, so you have a good blood flow.