On Monday, October 4, the American Red Cross will be returning to Leesville for the first of two annual blood drives. The Red Cross needs willing volunteers to donate units of blood.
The Pride has hosted these drives to save lives every year. The Red Cross will set up donation stations in the Auxiliary Gym that will run all day. Potential donors will need to meet a few prerequisites.
Students must be 16 and weigh at least 110 pounds to donate blood. Donors will not be permitted to donate unless they have a driver’s license or passport. Students are encouraged to bring in their Blood Donor cards if they have one.
Donors will also need to have a permission slip filled out by their parents to donate. The permission slip requires donors to give their general information and a parent signature.
Permission slips can be picked up at and will need to be turned into Mr. Broer in room 240 prior to Wednesday, September 22.
Woong-Soo Lee, a volunteer at the North Raleigh Blood Center, said that the donating atmosphere is really important. “It is highly essential that we make nobody faint and die from loss of blood. So I just try to make everybody happy because usually happy people don’t faint.”
The Red Cross suggests that donors prepare themselves to donate. “Get really hydrated and have a lot of iron in your system. Then you can have a quick and easy time giving blood.” said Kiley Blades, student donor. After losing blood, it is recommended that students do not participate in any physical activities for 24 hours.
The Red Cross will send the blood out to one of their centers after donation. Here they will test it to make sure that it is free of diseases or anything that will create problems. If the blood passes every test, then it will be distributed to hospitals throughout the nation. When the blood reaches a hospital, the blood will be given to someone in need of it.
“It makes you feel like a hero. It’s a good thing and it’s a good feeling. It is a way for people to give back to other people in the community who need their blood.” said Blades. “It gives people the chance to feel like they are making a difference.”
In last year’s October blood drive, the Red Cross received 103 units of blood from LRHS. Hopefully, the Pride will be able to match that mark when this year’s October drive is completed.
