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Annual Blood Drive

Mt. Whitney High School
Annual Blood Drive

Basic Eligibility:

  • Must be at least 16 years old
  • Must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds
  • Must be in good general health (no cold or flu symptoms)
  • Must know your Social Security Number or Passport ID Number
  • Must have a photo ID (driver's license, student body card, etc.) for first time donations
  • Must have parent permission slip to donate at high school drive -- regardless of age! (see link below)

 

Donation Process:

  • REGISTRATION
  • PRE-SCREENING (iron-level, temperature, blood pressure)
  • SCREENING (medical history, personal lifestyle)--a) know names of any medications you may be taking and why you are taking them; b) ALL INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL!
  • DONATION--a) 1 pint of blood will be taken (each person has between 9 and 12 pints); b) donation process takes between 5-15 minutes
  • REFRESHMENTS

THE WHOLE PROCESS FROM REGISTRATION TO REFRESHMENTS TAKES ABOUT 1 HOUR.

Donor Rewards:

  • T-shirt and coupons

Donor Cards:

  • Donor cards with donors blood type will be mailed to all first time donors.

Temporary Deferrals:

  • TATTOOS--a person is deferred from giving blood for 1 year from the day that a tattoo is applied.
  • PIERCINGS--a person is deferred from giving blood for 1 year from the day that they received a body piercing; a) ear piercing is an exception if it was done professionally with a piercing gun. If the ear piercing was done with a needle, the donor is deferred for 1 year.
  • ATHLETES--if you are involved with any after-school sport or physical activity that you committed to participating in, you should NOT donate blood. Donors are asked to abstain from strenuous exercise for 24 hours after donating.

Preparation:

  • Eat a good meal 30 minutes to 4 hours prior to donating
  • Drink lots of fluids and eat well, starting a couple days before the blood drive; a) try to drink lots of water and juice and avoid caffeine if possible (water and juice hydrate the body, caffeinated drinks dehydrate the body); b) eat foods rich in ir