Padua’s National Honor Society will be holding the annual blood drive on April 26.  The students who would like to participate have to meet a few requirements.  A donor must be at least seventeen years old before or on the date of the blood drive.  The health of the student must be generally good and must weigh at least 110 pounds.  The requirements also state that the donor cannot have tattoos or piercings that were done within the past year, excluding ear piercings.  If the student takes any medication, they may want to check with Mrs. Fundakowski.  She will help the student get in contact with a Blood Bank representative who will know if the student should donate blood or not due to the medication they are currently taking.  Students who have a sports game or practice later that day are suggested not to donate blood.

If a student decides to donate at the blood drive, she should eat a healthy dinner and drink plenty of fluids the night before the donation, as well as a good breakfast that morning.  The blood drive process for one student should take exactly one hour.  Before the donation, the student must fill out paperwork.  The technician will also check the donor’s temperature, blood pressure, and iron level of the blood.  The actual process of withdrawing blood will take about five to eight minutes.  The student is then required to sit for fifteen minutes while they eat a snack and drink juice to ensure that they will not feel nauseous afterwards.

If a Padua student wants to participate in the blood drive, registration forms are available at Mrs. Fundakowski’s office.  The form needs to have a parent signature and can then be returned to seniors Shannon Hayes and Capps Juliano, or Mrs. Fundakowski by April 15.  Once the student returns the form, they will receive an appointment card that will have a scheduled time to arrive at the blood drive.  The blood drive is an easy and great way to help others in need.