July 21 Blood Drive at Hamilton

Jun 8

Jun 8 July 21 Blood Drive at Hamilton

Poster submitted by Versiti.

Alie Robertson

This year, like years before, after the AP test, AP Language & Composition students spend their time working on service projects. My group has decided to host a blood drive to help combat the blood shortage that is occurring across America. “In January 2022, the American Red Cross declared its first-ever blood crisis, after experiencing a 10 percent decline in the number of people donating,” according to The Week. The current blood shortage can be mostly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fear that it gave potential donors. While only 37% of the US population is eligible to donate, less than 10% of people actually do.

My team (Rachel Rank, Rosa Martinez, and I) is partnering with Versiti to host a blood drive on July 21st over the summer in the main gym at Hamilton. The blood drive will be open to both students and members of the community. Students who are 16 will need a parent's permission form printed with a signature, and all donors will need some form of ID that includes their birthdate and a picture. The drive will be run in the morning from 9 AM to 2 PM. Drinks and snacks will be provided to donors after they donate.

Here are a few tips if you’ve never donated before or are nervous: As a first time donor at Hamilton’s most recent blood drive, I understand it can be intimidating, but there are steps that you can take to prepare so you can arrive feeling confident. It is important for donors to drink a lot of water the day before, and leading up to when they donate. Eating a full meal before you donate is also important. After you donate make sure to stay hydrated and eat enough food. Avoid vigorous activities like heavy lifting after you donate.

Here are some tips from the Red Cross website on donating blood:

Have iron-rich foods, such as red meat, fish, poultry, beans, spinach, iron-fortified cereals or raisins.
Get a good night's sleep the night before your donation, eat healthy foods and drink extra liquids.
Ask a friend to donate at the same time. You can support each other and do twice as much good!
Please bring your donor card, driver's license or two other forms of identification.
We’ll need to know about all prescription or over the counter medications you’re taking
Drink an extra 16 oz. of water (or other nonalcoholic drink) before your appointment.
Eat a healthy meal, avoiding fatty foods like hamburgers, fries or ice cream.
Wear a shirt with sleeves that you can roll up above your elbows.
Let us know if you have a preferred arm or particular vein that has been used successfully in the past to draw blood.
Relax, listen to music, talk to other donors or read while you donate.
Relax for a few minutes in our refreshment & recovery area — have some cookies or other snacks — you’ve earned it!
Keep the strip bandage on for the next several hours; to avoid a skin rash, clean the area around the bandage with soap and water.
Don’t do any heavy lifting or vigorous exercise for the rest of the day.
If the needle site starts to bleed, apply pressure and raise your arm straight up for 5-10 minutes or until bleeding stops.
If you experience dizziness or lightheadedness, stop what you’re doing and sit down or lie down until you feel better; avoid performing any activity where fainting may lead to injury for at least 24 hours.
Keep eating iron-rich foods.
If you donate frequently, be sure to take multivitamins with iron to ensure you continue to replenish your iron stores before your next donation.