SOUTHWICK, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Blood supplies across Massachusetts are critically low, but students at Southwick Regional High School tried to help Thursday by hosting the school’s first community blood drive.

Students and staff at Southwick Regional High School opened their doors to the community in hopes of helping those in need of blood in the area. Asher Rose was the brains behind the blood drive. For him, it goes beyond his role as the president of the school’s National Honor Society chapter and rather, was a way to honor his late grandmother. “I remember there was this one time where she had a blood transfusion and that was something that I really wanted to make a bigger impact in our community because blood is really needed,” he explained.

That need is great in the community. According to the Connecticut Blood Center, there is a low inventory of blood in western Massachusetts, mainly Type O. The blood drive is unique because donors have the ability to impact not just one life, but three. At the blood drive, they’re able to filter the blood into three different products - red blood cells, platelets and plasma - meaning every donation is effectively tripled.

Angelica Racette is a junior at Southwick Regional High and a chair member for the blood drive. She said it’s a good feeling knowing so many people showed out. “I know that I’ve had people in my family that need blood transfusions and everything, so it’s just really nice to know that we’re helping so many people and so many people in our community are willing and able to come out and donate today,” she added.

Staff at Southwick Regional High School, like career facilitator Maryanne Margiotta, said they couldn’t be more proud to see the young people in their community making a difference. “I just hope that people see this, will realize that it’s so important for them to be able to donate blood, and when there are local blood drives that they do contribute because they can save lives,” she said.

Staff and students hope to make this an annual tradition, saving as many lives as possible. “I think sometimes students around here think that maybe we’re just in such a small area and sometimes we don’t see the potential or the opportunity that maybe we can go out and reach in the world,” Rose said.

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