Pleasant Valley High School is getting ready to host one of its many annual blood drives on Dec. 7. This blood drive will take place in the gym, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., following the early dismissal of the school day. The Spartans are hosting the blood drive, but the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center will be running the actual blood drive. Students, staff, and members of the community are encouraged to donate blood.
According to the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, “Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45 minutes to one hour. An identification card or Donor ID is required to donate. Potential donors must be in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be at least 17 years old. Potential donors may be 16 years old and donate, but must present a signed parental consent form.” Although the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center only requires people under the age of 16 to have a signed parental consent form, PV requires that all students under the age of 18 must have a signed parental consent form.
The students at Pleasant Valley make up the majority of the donors that participate at PV’s annual blood drives. Jared Allbee, senior, is one of many PV Students that will be participating in the upcoming blood drive. When it comes to donating blood, Allbee commented, “It’s for a great cause and I’ve done every year since sophomore year. Plus, my blood is O negative which is really rare.” The students who donate at PV don’t go unnoticed. The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center offers an award to any seniors that have donated one gallon of blood over the course of their four years in high school. The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center states, “To receive the Gallon Grad award, you must donate eight times before graduating from high school. You can safely donate blood every 56-days; the
refore, you will have plenty of time to complete your donations before graduation. Once you have completed your eight donations, the Gallon Grad Award may be presented to you as part of your school’s senior awards ceremony (if approved by the school).”
Students, staff, and other members of the community are all welcome to participate in the upcoming blood drive hosted by PV. Watch the video attached to this article to see what happens with the blood after the donation process.
