STOP BY THE BLOOD DRIVE

By JEREMY GUTIERREZ

JEREMY GUITIERREZ FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

The Washingtonville annual blood drive is taking place on Tuesday, May 15th.  From 8 am to 7 pm students and members of the community will be able to donate blood in the High School Library.  Anyone interested in donating must be at least 16 years of age and 110 pounds.  The blood drive is always looking for new volunteers to donate as every donor saves three lives.

Donating blood helps the lives of millions of Americans each year who require blood transfusions.  There are many different ways to donate blood including whole blood, plasma, platelet, and automated red cell donation.  Taking blood usually requires about 45 to 60 minutes depending on how you donate.  

It is essential to follow some important steps in order to have a better donation experience.  Perhaps most importantly is the fact that hydration is key; make sure to drink plenty of fluids prior to donating.  Secondly, make sure to eat salty snacks the day before and morning of donating.  The night before the blood drive make sure to get a good night's sleep as well.  Don't forget to eat breakfast in the morning! One cannot skip the most important meal of the day when donating blood.  Follow all of these steps in order to have a pleasant donation experience.

Snacks are provided for all donors!

Before donating, knowing your blood type plays a major factor in the process.  Donors who are not sure of their blood types will have to go through a test.  Once blood type has been identified, donors can opt to have a card mailed to them with their blood type on it.  There are four different types of blood: A, B, AB, and O.  The most common blood type is O at 45%, followed by A at 40%, then B at 10%, and lastly AB at 5%.  If interested in finding out your blood type, come out to the blood drive and donate at the same time.

Many students made the decision to donate. Senior Jon Saltz informed, “I wanted to give back to the community by donating blood, and when I heard about the blood drive I knew I had to donate.”  Be like Jon and go donate blood to give back to the community.  Don't forget that only one donation can save three lives.