Student Senate hosts blood drive on April 22

On Friday, April 22nd, Arrowhead’s Student Senate will be partnering with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive.  It will take place in the North Campus’s West Gym. 

Appointment times will be available from 7:45 am to 11:45 am and can last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, according to Student Senate executive member Bella Samz.  

Samz says, “It truly varies for each person.  An experienced donor will likely take much less time, and a new donor may take longer.”

Sign-up will begin on April 11 and end on April 21 in the North Campus cafeteria during lunch hours, and will begin on April 18 and end on April 21 in the South Campus cafeteria during lunch hours.

There are upwards of 100 available slots, which can be filled by either students or community members who would like to participate.  The donors who fill the first 40 slots will receive a  coupon for a free bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes.  

Samz says this is “to get more people to sign up for the morning time slots because usually that is the slow period.”

Students who wish to donate must be at least 16 years old to donate, and be in good health.  Being in adequate health to donate blood means that one adheres to this criteria from the American Red Cross website.

There are some medications that make someone ineligible to donate blood for one month, such as Accutane.  Women on any form of birth control are eligible to donate.

Samz says she has “not donated blood through Arrowhead, but (she has) witnessed many new donors who have had positive experiences who wanted to donate again.”

Tamara Lindmair, Student Senate Co-Advisor, says, “One blood donation saves three lives—we encourage all who are eligible to donate.”