Red Cross Club to host biannual blood drive

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The Red Cross Club hosts two blood drives a year.

Members of the Red Cross Club are holding a blood drive in Gym B all day Oct. 31 hoping to collect 100 units of blood.

Students 16 and older can give blood with a parent’s permission. Students 17 and older can give blood without their parent’s permission.

Snacks will be offered after a student has given blood so they won’t pass out during class.

“It’s always really important once they take the blood out to make sure that you put energy back in so if you go back to class on an empty stomach you’re more likely to pass out,” Red Cross Club sponsor Jayme Goetz said. “So we have snacks and juice to get them rehydrated and back up to par before we send you back to class. “

While anyone is welcome to donate there are a few restrictions regarding allergies, asthma and blood pressure, height and weight are the main ones.

Females must be at least 5-foot-1 and weigh 133 pounds while boys must be 4-foot-10 and weigh 118 pounds. As students get taller, they can weigh less.

“Every donation saves three lives, and I think that’s huge,” Goetz said. “Red Cross is all about helping community members, inside our community and inside our country, and with recent hurricane season and everything like that, I think that the need for blood is very high. I think it’s important that students really consider helping someone they don’t even know needs help.”

19rporter@usd489.com