Students have the opportunity to give the gift of life this holiday season with the arrival of the OneBlood Big Red Bus on Tuesday. The bus will be present  from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Students who are at least 16 and weight a minimum of 110 pounds will be eligible to donate, however those 16 years of age will need a signed parental consent form.

While the donation itself will take between 5 to 10 minutes, the whole process, from registration to refreshments, will take about an hour. It’s recommend that donors eat well at their regular meal times both the day before and the day of, as well as drink plenty of fluids.

“Make sure to eat a lot of food so you don’t get too lightheaded and drink lots of water because it makes it easier to find your vein,” senior Ashely Norris said.

Donors need to wear a short-sleeve shirt and remember to bring their IDs. Further, a list of any medications being taken at the time of donation is required.

Norris describes her experience

“I was super stressed and my heart rate was too high for me to even get my finger pricked,” she said. “I had to wait for a bit to ‘calm down.’ After that I had one of my friends hold my hand and I was good. I guess knowing that if my sister or anyone close to me needed blood I’d do it in a heartbeat, I figured since I’m able to I should do it and save someone’s life”

By Eve Beard