PHOTOS: Johnston Students Donate to Save Lives

students helped to save lives on Wednesday.

Students waited, at times more than an hour, to donate a pint of blood during the Student Council's Annual Spring Blood Drive.

"My parents said that I have a blood type that everyone can use," said sophomore McKenna Matthies. A blood donation "saved my grandpa's life so I wanted to donate."

While McKenna and several friends had been waiting for an hour and five minutes by their count, other students were already recovering from their donations.

"I've just always done it so I wanted to again," senior Tyler McCormick said. "I've donated four or five times, each through the school."

Casey Halder, a junior, decided to donate after being razed by a friend.

"If she can do it, I could," he said. "I wasn't going to chicken out."

His first donation wasn't too daunting.

"I was pretty skeptical, but my mom's a nurse," he said. "It's not that bad and you feel good about doing it afterwards."

LifeServe Blood Center was on hand to perform the donations, as well as, Miss Iowa Jessica Pray, a JHS graduate and blood donation advocate.

Dinela Alic, a junior, volunteered to assist students sign in and out at the makeshift blood center.

"I don't weigh enough to donate but I wanted to be part of the drive," she said. "I think it's a really good way to help others that don't have blood and need it."

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