Newtown Middle School Cluster 8 Purple students and teachers, along with other volunteers from the school, oversaw  on Tuesday, December 8, an American Red Cross blood drive and a simultaneous  food collection for FAITH (Food Assistance, Immediate Temporary Help) Food Pantry in Sandy Hook.

Following the event, 8 Purple teacher Danelle Egan sent an e-mail thanking those that helped support it. The e-mail was signed by her and her fellow 8 Purple teachers Andrew San Angelo, Jennifer Hayducky, and Megan Carroll.

“The Red Cross was hoping to have 30 actual donors from today’s drive, and we actually got blood donations from at least 48 people. This result clearly marks our blood drive at the exemplary level,” Ms Egan wrote in the e-mail.

The blood drive and food collection was open to the public after school hours until6 pm.Students took part in all aspects of planning the event, and students were stationed around the school’s cafeteria helping, registering donors, and organizing food donations.

According to Mr San Angelo, the simultaneous drives were Ms Egan’s idea, following a month long focus on “giving” in November.

Between 60 and 70 students, all too young to be blood donors, helped volunteer for the event, between working to plan and oversee the event on December 8.

“The Red Cross estimates that for each pint of blood donated, three lives are potentially saved. Today our collective efforts may have helped to save approximately 150 lives,” Ms Egan wrote.

According to Mr San Angelo, seven boxes were filled with food donations for FAITH Food Pantry during the event.

More information about the American Red Cross is available online at redcrossblood.org.