GPS Safety & Security Department Hosts 6th Blood Drive, Supporting Communities Across the Country
GPS Safety & Security Department Hosts 6th Blood Drive, Supporting Communities Across the Country
Tristan Chavez
On Friday, August 29, the multi-purpose room at GPS Global Academy hosted a blood drive led by the Gilbert Public Schools Safety and Security department. The blood drive, which has been an annual event for the past three years, welcomed not only GPS teachers and staff but all members of the Gilbert and Mesa communities to support people across the country.
Three times a year, the GPS Safety and Security Department partners with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive. It’s an effort that Director of Safety and Security Al Cain sees as a fundamental part of the department's mission. “I just look at it as our way of giving back," he explained. "Some people donate money, some people donate other things like their time or labor. This is our way.”
While the Red Cross staff handles the vital work of drawing blood, available members of the GPS Safety and Security team volunteer to support the blood drive in any way they can. They set up the space, greet donors, and help ensure a smooth process for everyone.
“As the Safety and Security department, we understand the need and impact donating blood can have,” added Sandy Christie, Administrative Assistant for the department. “We just want to support our communities in any way that we can.”
Over the past three years, the GPS Safety and Security department has hosted 6 blood drives, gathering over 140 total pints of donated blood. After donating at the Safety and Security blood drive, donors are notified of when their donations are used. Al Cain shared a story of how his most recent donation was used to support a child in San Diego. “It’s just a powerful reminder that we can make a real impact on someone’s life,” he said.
The Safety and Security department works to help and support as many people as it can. In schools, this can mean being present on campus and available to students. For blood drives, it means hosting as many as three per school year to gain as many donations as possible. “We only have enough time for 29 donations per blood drive, so we try to have at least one drive in every fall, winter, and spring,” added Cain.
The next blood drive will be held in December 2025. For more information about the Safety and Security department, including important information regarding lockdown and safety drills, visit GilbertSchools.net/Safety. To stay up to date with information regarding the next blood drive, please continue reading the “Connect, Create, Care” district newsletter and your school’s newsletter.