The Future Health Career Club is partnering with Impact Life to host a blood drive at PHS on Nov. 19 from 1:30pm to 6pm. in the round building (high school cafeteria).
To donate you have to be at least 16 years old with a parental consent form, that you can find on the desk in front of Ms. Fulton’s and or 17 years old and older and meet certain health criteria, like weighing at least 110 pounds and being overall in good health. You can get more information on if you are eligible at https://www.bloodcenter.org/donate/donor/requirements-faq/.
Mrs. Fulton said that if you don’t want to hold on to your parental consent forms you can give it to her so you won’t forget it on the day of donation.
If you are interested in donating you should sign up in the list in front of Ms. Fulton’s and Ms. Bickler’s room to make an appointment, because especially during school the spots will fill up. So they will put you on the official form online.
On the day of the donation you need your photo Id and if you are 16 your parental consent form. It is also recommended to drink and eat a lot that day.
At the appointment you first do a quick sign up/ early appointment, then interviewed by people about your health and then your iron levels will be taken. After everything is checked you will donate blood.
FHCC will help with the set up and clean up as much as possible as well as helping with the sign up process, getting kids out of class when it is their time to donate and making sure they will get something to drink and eat afterwards. Just in general make sure everything will go smoothly. FHCC members who sign up will get community service hours.
Everyone who donates can get community service hours and they will get a card with their blood type. If anyone wants to volunteer and help should ask Mrs. Fulton. If you have enough community hours you will get a cord to wear at graduation.
Impact Life will give us a scholarship based on how many units of blood will be donated. It starts at $270 for 20 units and ends at $400 for 150 collected units. The scholarship will be open to every senior, they don’t have to be a member of FHCC or have donated blood, but they will have to fill out a few essay questions.
There will be a second blood drive March 13 if there will be enough donation on both days we will get two scholarships.
The blood will not be shipped across the country, but will stay local in Missouri and surrounding states. One use will be for the district’s ambulances.
Senior Sophia DeClue who has donated blood 5 times before said that she goes to donate every 8 weeks and the process isn’t bad at all. The people doing it are usually really nice, especially in school. She also said that afterwards, even though they warn you, she doesn’t feel bad at all, more like accomplished and like she did something good. She will also be donating on the 19th and get the cord for graduation.
