Is there a more perfect time for a blood drive than around Halloween? Sedro-Woolley High School leadership picked the perfect time for donating. The blood drive- which is being run by BloodWorks Northwest- took place Thursday, October 27th in the SWHS library. Eighty-one people donated blood and helped many people in need of a transfusion.

One pint of blood can save up to three people.

According to the American Red Cross, high schoolers and college students account for 20 percent of the nation’s blood supply. As high school students, the impact of donating blood is huge, and Sedro-Woolley High School students are looking to make an impact. Amy Gregory, head of leadership, says “our goal was to have 80 donors…we have that plus 100 more on the waiting list…”

Blood Donor Resource rep, Sasha Seiden, also reported that, “We were able to collect 62 units of whole blood.”
Compared to last year, these results are phenomenal. Emma Mesman says that, “last year, we only had about 50 donors as compared to the 80 that we are going to get…they only had about 60 sign up last year.”

The blood stays local with hospitals around Whatcom and Skagit counties the recipients.The blood donated in the SWHS blood drive is just a general donation.  Although there are quite a few people donating, there are also quite a few who are qualified, but do not wish to.

There are many common myths out there about blood donation that may be the cause for hesitation in many cases. One of the most common myths is the fear of not being able to perform athletically after giving blood. This myth is in fact false. Giving blood does not interfere with ability to perform physically, however it is advised to avoid heavy lifting or hard workouts for the rest of the day after the donation.

Within the next 24 hours, your blood will have replaced itself.
Another common reason some may avoid donation is because of a fear of needles; If you have a fear of needles, inform the person taking your blood of this fear and they will help you with staying calm and making the donation less nerve-wracking. This experience should be relatively calm and overall enjoyable. Happy donating!