KSH LifeSAVERs Club recognize among top 5 school programs in Hawai'i

Senior Landen Kukahiwa and junior Xander Calicdan are coordinating this year's KSH LifeSAVERs blood drives.

Aug. 23, 2019

Contributed by Shaundor Chillingworth

The Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi LifeSAVERs Club has a lot to be proud of for their volunteerism and support of our communities. Since 2013, the club has helped to save over 3,000 lives, collecting over 1,000 pints of blood.

During a recent Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi(BBH) Workshop on Oʻahu, the club was recognized as one of five schools to have coordinated over 250 donations over the past year, collecting 265 pints of blood during drives last year. Our LifeSAVERs were joined by KS Kapālama, Leilehua, Mililani, and Radford in that top 5.

Overall, the BBH saw a 10% increase in the number of drives held on schools last school year from 93 to 102.

Congratulations to club advisor Mrs. Elizabeth Truesdell, last year's blood drive coordinator Hoʻonani McClung, and all of the KSH LifeSAVERs Club members for this special recognition. And MAHALO to everyone who made a donation last year.

The dates for this year's on-campus blood drives have been set if you would like to consider donating this year:

September 16, 2019
January 23, 2020
March 20, 2020

Drives are held in Lunalilo Hale (unless otherwise noted) and during school hours. If you are 16 or older, healthy, and weigh at least 110 pounds, you may be eligible to donate. All student donors under 18 need to have a signed Parent Consent form--a new form for each new blood drive. Contact Mrs. Truesdell (eltruesd@ksbe.edu) for a form or for more information.

"KSH's commitment to host three blood drives per school year not only provides opportunity for our staff and students to participate in the necessary public service of blood donation, for those able and willing to do so, but also offers a convenient location for our immediate community members in Ola‘a, Kea‘au, Pāhoa, and as far south as Volcano to come to a welcoming place to join with us in helping to meet our community's needs," shares Truesdell. "This year's BBH theme is the "Are you TOUGH ENOUGH Challenge," and we hope to be, indeed, tough enough."

This year's drives are coordinated by club president and KSH senior Landen Kukahiwa and junior Xander Calicdan.

Community members looking to make donation on-site should make arrangements prior to the drive date to allow for security clearance.

Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi's 2019-2020 Are You TOUGH ENOUGH Challenge currently ranks Hawaiʻi Island as #1 for donations. See rankings at bloodbanktough.org.