Mr. Broer, Senor Ross and Mrs. Eastman have coordinated the blood drive for the past six years and this year is no exception. “We have a goal of 93 units [of blood],” said Mr. Broer, ninth grade English teacher. “We expect the students to easily meet that expectation.”
Broer expects that at least 130 staff and students will sign up to donate blood and that dozens of other students will sign up to volunteer. “The outcome for this event is incredible,” said Broer. “Its good to see so many people are willing to help out. We always fill every spot.”
While many students would love to donate, there are some qualifications that need to be met prior to donation. For example, students must be at least 16 years of age to donate and must meet special height and weight requirements. Specifically, students must weight at least 110 pounds to donate.
There are also special precautions that students who plan to donate need to heed the day of the drive. Students should plan to bring valid photo identification, eat a large breakfast and drink plenty of water the day of the drive. Also, students can not give blood if they plan to participate in vigorous exercising or heavy lifting after donation.
Students should also plan to be asked personal questions about previous travels or history of disease before donating. These personal questions are necessary to ensure the donation of healthy blood only.
Katy has been on staff since her sophomore year, starting as a staff writer. With hard work and diligence, she earned a junior editor position and ultimately became Editor-in-Chief her senior year. She will pursue a degree in journalism in college.