Due to abnormal heat conditions for November, this year’s blood drive was shut down around 12:30 today attributable to too many students fainting after giving blood.

Today was an uncharacteristic 81 degrees, and although the Aux gym, where students were donating blood, was very cool and had air conditioning, once students returned to the heat of their classrooms, many began fainting. At Langley and FCPS schools the heater cannot easily be turned off, making it impossible to turn it off just for this one day. This caused the classrooms extremely hot today. This, combined with the blood drive was not a good match, as according to Junior Kaitlin Bonacci after she had donated blood, “By 10am there were about 6 to 7 students who had already fainted.” Six to Seven students to faint during Blood Drive Day is a lot, but for 6 or 7 to have fainted in 2 hours is abnormal. This pattern continued on for the rest of the morning leaving no choice but to cancel the Blood Drive for the day.

Over the past years, the Langley Blood Drive has been a big event for Langley to help others and donate blood to help save lives. Not only that, but the Blood Drive has gotten bigger and bigger over the years with more students participating every year.

At the moment it does not appear as any students were majorly hurt due to the fainting. One student hit her head while fainting but as of now seems to be alright.

After this, the Science Department and the Science Honor Society will be looking to rebound at the next Blood Drive