While donating blood may seem like a frightening endeavor to some, others are willing to brave the pain to help others in need.

One such student was junior Kieran McCauley, who donated blood to Versiti during flex period on Feb. 5. McCauley was not a rookie, and said, “I just do it because it helps people and it helps save lives.”

McCauley explained that when donating blood, donors must first fill out what she described as “all this paperwork.” Then, donors will have to take a test to check their hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body’s organs. This test is performed prior to the blood donation to ensure that it is safe for the donor to give blood.

“They scrub your arm and then, for regular blood they’ll just insert the needle and wait. It takes about 10 minutes. And then, plasma, they insert the needle and it takes about 30 minutes,” McCauley said.

“It’s a great cause, and it helps a lot of people every year,” McCauley said.

The blood drive took place all day in the Welch Activity Center foyer on Feb. 5.