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