Teacher Lance Culbert helps coordinate blood drives with Coffee Memorial Blood Center as a co-sponsor for Key Club. He said he enjoys the blood drives and getting to see people give but also said he has personal experience with a family member needing blood after a procedure.

“Donated blood assists in a lot of medical procedures like surgery or after traumatic accidents,” Culbert said. “One of the things that I did not realize until recently is that blood and platelets are given to a lot of cancer patients that are undergoing chemotherapy because their blood counts go down because of the chemotherapy.”

Research shows that blood transfusions for chemotherapy patients can mean the difference between feeling absolutely horrible and feeling better just by having those blood products.

“Last year, my dad had a heart valve replacement. And he received blood products during his surgery,” Culbert said. “Without blood products, he probably would have died. Now he is on blood thinners, and so he cannot donate blood. But before he started taking blood thinners, he actually had given gallons of blood. Not just pints, like over the course [of his life] he had given over 100 times.” 

Not only can students help people in their area, or even their peers who are involved in car accidents because of road conditions this time of year, but seniors who have donated 6 times in their high school career are eligible to receive an honor cord from the Coffee Memorial Blood Center that can be worn at graduation. 

“It [receiving a cord] is not something that is done automatically, you have to go to the website and sign up,” Culbert said. “They count all of your donations to Coffee Memorial and they deliver the honor cords about a week before graduation.” 

The winter blood drive is taking place in the upper commons today through seventh period. To be eligible to donate, students under the age of 17 must have a signed parent consent form, and weigh at least 125 pounds. For students 18 and older, a parent consent form is not needed, and the donor must weigh at least 110 pounds. Regular donations usually take one full class period and half of a second class period. If students want to do double donations that will be two full class periods and part of a third.

On the day students donate they need a photo ID and they will fill out the medical questionnaire by scanning the QR code on the sign up sheet. 

To prepare for the blood drive students should:

• Get a good night’s sleep, you want to be well rested.
• Eat a good breakfast, you need to have energy so you feel well afterwards. 
• Stay hydrated and drink water throughout the day, this makes your veins easy to find, and lowers the risk of feeling faint.

For students who are not feeling well, please wait to donate! Students should not feel pressured to keep their appointments if they are not feeling well. The last blood drive of the year is towards the end of march, and students can donate then.

The next blood drive will be in March.