Have a heart: Donate blood.

Gloucester High School and American Red Cross are teaming up for the blood drive this December 9th. GHS staff and students are eligible to donate blood. The drive will be set up in the field house and will run all school day. 

There are several requirements to be able to donate blood. You can be 16 years old with parental consent and 17+ with no parental consent needed. You have to weigh at least 110 pounds. You can not donate if you have gotten a piercing in the last 5 weeks. You should be in good health and feeling well. Additionally, you can’t donate if you have donated in the last 56 days. 

All donors must provide an ID and/or proof of age. Driver’s license, Green Card, State ID, Employee ID, Passport, Student ID, and Military ID are all acceptable proofs of authentication. 

If you want to be feeling your best when you donate blood, here are some steps to help you:

Get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before your appointment. Have a healthy breakfast and lunch. Stick to lean proteins such as lean meat, cheese, and yogurt. Complex carbohydrates like bread, cereal, and fruit are also good to have. It is highly recommended to avoid fatty food. Most importantly, stay hydrated. Drink extra water than you normally would, and drink more water about 10-30 minutes before you donate. 

On the day of the blood drive, wear comfortable clothes. Your shirt needs to fit comfortably over your elbow. 

Be prepared to answer questions about your medical history. These questions are confidential and important to answer honestly. 

The blood drive is important, and each pint donated can help save three lives. Every two seconds someone in the US needs blood. 672 million people in the US donate blood each year. The Red Cross provides 40 percent of blood donations each year. 

“Last year we did not make our goal, because so many kids were turned away because of anemia, or due to being underweight, or a new piercing,” GHS World Language teacher Rayanne Menery-Sammataro. “We are looking for kids to eat really well this week to be able to donate. As of right now, we have 15 spots open. Many staff members have stepped up this time. We could always use alternates.”

This year there will be a T-shirt raffle for donors. 

If you would like to sign up for the blood drive see Ms. Menery or Chloe deGaspe Beaubien. 

If you have any more questions or concerns about donating blood go to the American Red Cross website: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/donation-process-overview.html