Hillsborough High School partnered with the American Red Cross to host its annual Winter Blood Drive. The annual Blood Drive is an event where students and staff members donate a whole unit of blood under the supervision of trained professionals who are part of the American Red Cross. 

This event was held on Dec. 9 from 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. inside the wrestling room near the main gym. The Blood Drive held at the high school targets students and staff members. In order to donate blood, students must be 16+ years old, must weigh 110+ pounds, and have parent permission if they aren’t legally an adult. 

Julianne Anderson, the Blood Drive advisor shared the process of donating blood. “ First, donors provide identification, read information, and complete a questionnaire. Then, a Red Cross staff member checks temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and hemoglobin levels. After that, a staff member cleanses the arm and uses a sterile kit to collect about 1 pint of blood in roughly 8–10 minutes. After the donation, donors enjoy a snack and drink in a recovery area for about 10-15 minutes.” said Anderson. 

“After the blood gets donated, it is sent to a Red Cross processing center, where it is scanned into a database. Centrifuges spin the blood to separate it into components such as red cells, plasma, and platelets. Samples are then sent to a lab to determine blood type and test for infectious diseases. Once cleared, components are stored and distributed to hospitals for patients in need,” said Anderson. 

All staff and students who are interested in donating blood, the next blood drive will take place on June 7. It is a great chance to give back to our community, so please save the date on your calendars and come to donate.