Red Cross Blood Drive
By Grace Ureta and Nicole Kizer
Published on 11/8/18 - News
The annual Red Cross Blood Drive at Covina High School took place on Wednesday, October 24th. To donate to the American Red Cross, you must be sixteen years old and match the weight and height requirements.
The full donation eligibility list is here.
Seniors that donate blood three times this year will get an award at Senior Award Night. When you sign up for the blood drive, you must show up at a scheduled time.
Seniors that donate blood 3x this year will get an award at Senior Award Night.
Once students leave class they need to check in at the Career Center. Once they are verified, students will need to answer an online questionnaire to determine if they are healthy enough for shots. After that process, they head for the gym.
When students get to the gym, students check in and ind a booth to wait in. Here, students are questioned again about their physical health.
Last, students are poked on the finger with a lancet to check for iron levels, if a student is low on iron, they will not qualify to give blood. If they are okay, they are cleared to donate.
A nurse prepares the blood bag and the needle, and once the nurse finds the vein, they swab the students arm will alcohol and insert the needle.
The student will lies on the bed for ten to fifteen minutes. While lying on the bed students are able to read, listen to music, or go on their phone. Once the blood bag is full, the needle will be taken out of the arm. The nurses bandage the needle site. The student is then required to rest for five minutes.
After five minutes, the nurses allow the student to get up and go sit at a table where snacks and beverages are provided. When you feel like you’re ready to go, you are able to grab a Red Cross blood drive t-shirt and leave the gym.
Overall, we found the entire experience to be organized and safe. It’s normal to be nervous, especially if it's your first time, but there isn’t anything to worry about. Just one pint of donated blood can help save three people’s lives. We recommend giving blood because it’s for a good cause.