Despite the Coronavirus preventing large gatherings, the Moanalua High School National Honor Society surpassed its goal and collected 55 pints of blood for the Blood Bank of Hawaii at its February 26 drive, including 19 first-time donors.

The normally bustling library was instead scaled down to a single Bloodmobile bus in the student parking lot. Still, a steady stream of 65 teachers, students and community members braved the scheduling delays and rolled up their sleeves to donate. The club’s original day-of-event goal was 30 pints.

Adviser Lisa Oka said the Blood Bank allowed people who visited a bloodmobile or the downtown blood donation centers between August 2020 and Feb. 26 to credit Moanalua High School for their donation. Using this method, Moanalua was able to record 194 total pints in that time period. Given that one pint of blood can produce enough product (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) to save three lives, that is no small feat.

Oka said the Blood Bank later informed her it will allow donations in the name of the school through April, so it will be possible for Moanalua’s number of collections for the year to go ever higher.

“Thank you to the people who donated multiple times” in the past few months, Oka said. 

NHS President Hannah Yuasa, a senior, and Vice President Jezelle Guittap, a junior, organized the drive.