By NICK BRENNAN

Staff Writer

The National Honor Society members sponsored their annual blood drive on Feb. 26 to support the Central Jersey Blood Center.

In all, 78 people were registered to donate, according to NHS adviser Justine Lane, up from the 42 donors last year. The donors included 58 students and 20 parents. 61 people were able to donate at the blood drive.

“Last year only about two or three parents donated,” Lane said “So we were happy to see so many more parents this year.”

NHS Vice President Catherine McLean of Matawan was pleased at how the event went.

“We had more people than last year, and no one one passed out or got sick. That is a complete success in my book,” she said.

For last year’s blood drive, the school added more restrictions on donors including a minimum weight requirement of 120 pounds and a mandatory recuperation period after some students passed out after giving blood.

Lane, who took over advisership of NHS last school year, said that after two successful blood drives, next year’s blood drive may be expanded to include plasma donations.

According to the Shrewsbury-based blood center, blood donations can be broken down into three components; platelets, red blood cells and plasma. One pint can help save three people because each component does not necessarily go to the same person.

Senior Jimmy Gallagher of Middletown was a first time donor.

“I felt a little queasy after getting blood taken, I came back and felt better,” he said. “Especially knowing I just potentially saved a life.” Gallagher noted that he enjoyed the recuperation room stocked with snacks and drinks by NHS.

Unfortunately, not everyone can donate. One of the new restrictions placed on students was that only junior and senior students can donate, something that disappointed students like sophomore Connor Duffy of Freehold.

“I would have loved to donate this year because I think it is a great cause. To be able to save lives just by giving a little blood is a no-brainer,” he said.

Senior Katie Raborg of Hazlet, who donated this year, donated for a reason similar to why Duffy wanted to donate. Raborg said that she finds donating blood to be a civic duty.

“Because I have O negative, I just need to give back,” she said.

Lane said that to her, the Communications High School blood drive is so important to do, because it may start some people off on the road to being blood donors for the rest of their lives.

“We want to foster an environment where the first blood donation leads to more and more, and if we can get a good experience, then that just makes our goal much more attainable,” Lane said.

Correction on Feb. 27, 2014: The amount of blood donated was 61 pints, not 78 pints. The number of people who were signed up to donate was 78 people, but 17 people were turned away due to eligibility.