Students and staff can donate blood during Key Club’s spring blood drive Thursday, Feb. 20 and Friday, Feb. 21.

Students must be at least 16 years old to donate, with 16-year-old students required to have a signed parent permission form and weigh at least 125 lbs and students over 17 required to weigh 110 lbs. All donors are required to have a photo ID. The blood drive will be in the auditorium Thursday and in the commons Friday. Passes will be sent to students to leave class.

“Students should care because it helps someone other than themselves,” Key Club sponsor JaCee Copeland said. “According to the Community Blood Center, 4.5 million Americans need a blood transfusion every year, which translates to someone needing blood every two seconds. A lot of people are affected by the blood drive, and this is a way students can help.”

Each blood donation will benefit Canyon High in the Coffee Memorial Blood Center’s Kids Inc Donor Days 2020 contest. Students can also cast a vote for Canyon High when donating blood at a Coffee Memorial blood drive through Tuesday, March 31.

“The competition is important because it benefits Key Club in making the school better while also raising blood donations,” Copeland said. “When we help fill our blood bank up, it is definitely helping local people. It’s a really good way for our school to help the community and encourage students and even community members to donate blood and volunteer.”