Students are given the chance to save people’s lives with the fall blood drive on Monday, Oct. 1, sponsored by the community service class.

Alex Nelle, community service teacher, said students can choose which class, first through fifth hour, that they want to donate blood. Students had to sign up in advance to participate.

“Anybody who donates gets a t-shirt,” Nelle said.

Tannia Pourdavarani, senior, said that students have to be at least 17 to donate blood and you can be 16 and have a parent signature to donate. However, students under the age of 15 aren’t eligible to donate blood.

“One pint of blood you donate can save three lives,” Pourdavarani said. “Donating blood makes you feel better about yourself.”

The blood drive is being held at MHS by the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. Tara Frazier, Donor Relations Consultant, said that Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center started in St. Louis in 1977, but they have only been coming to MHS for the last couple of years.

To be eligible to donate blood, Frazier said donors have to be at least 110 pounds, in general good health, and they have to go through a screening process which includes checking blood pressure, iron, and pulse.

“Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center distributes 40,000 units of blood and blood products to the St. Louis area hospitals annually,” Frazier said. “Because each unit of whole blood is divided into three components, platelets, plasma and red cells, these units will go to help up to 120,000 patients.”

Frazier said their goal was to get at least 100 units of blood from MHS. Last year, they exceeded their goal and over 200 students participated in the blood drive. Frazier said she expects there to be an even better turnout this year.

Frazier said it is very important that high school students donate blood, not just to save someone’s life now, but to become blood donors for life.

“The donor population is aging, and as it ages, people become ineligible to donate,” Frazier said. “We want students to have a good experience and see how easy it is to donate in less than one hour.”

By students getting involved at a young age, Frazier said they are more likely to continue donating later in their lifetime. Also, Frazier said schools, particularly high schools, help maintain a healthy blood supply. Thirty percent of Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center’s blood supply comes from high school students.

“Some students see it as a way to get out of class, get a free t-shirt, or get a free snack, and that’s okay,” Frazier said, “but the person in the hospital bed doesn’t care how they got the blood, they just appreciate that their life is being saved.”