By Kylie Lancaster
The Ionic Society hosted a blood drive organized by the American Red Cross on April 1.
The Red Cross was able to collect blood from 15 donors out of 31 who signed up to participate.
The process for donors began about two days prior to the donations. Donors were encouraged to answer questions prior to arrival to ensure that they were eligible to donate on the day of the event.
Upon arrival, donor’s iron levels, temperature and their blood pressure were tested to further determine their eligibility for donation the day of the blood drive.
If the donor met all the qualifications to donate blood, a staff member from the American Red Cross began to prepare the donor’s bags and tubes for the donation.
For the donation, about one pint of blood was drawn which only took about 8-10 minutes. The entire process including testing, preparation, the donation, and recovery took about an hour.
Donors have many reasons as to why they chose to donate their blood to the American Red Cross. This could range from the knowledge that the donor will save at least three lives with one pint of blood, or the cookies and juice provided afterwards.
“I wanted to donate blood to the American Red Cross because it is one of the things my grandfather did, and it is one of the things I remember the most about him,” freshman Alex Miller said.
The drive has become a staple event for the honors society, which is comprised of mostly juniors, and is dedicated to serivce and leadership.
The American Red Cross frequently hosts blood drives. If interested, potential donors can use their zip code to find the next blood drive near them.
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