By RACHEL EMERSON
Student Reporter
A two-day blood drive will be held on Northwestern’s Alva campus next week April 28 and 29.
The blood drive was originally scheduled for one day with that day being today, but it has been changed to a two-day drive next week due to a conflict with Bahama Breakaway, another event Northwestern is holding today.
The Oklahoma Blood Institute staff will be on campus Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days in the Student Center Ballroom. A photo ID is required to be able to donate. Northwestern wants to encourage students to attend both the Bahama Breakaway event today and also the spring blood drive, so the drive was rescheduled.
By rescheduling and extending the blood drive from one day to two days there is a need for more volunteers and donors. Anyone interested in volunteering or reserving a spot to donate should contact Rachel Stewart, student events coordinator, as soon as possible.
The goal for the drive is to have 156 donors. Reaching the donation goal is important because the Oklahoma Blood Institute and hospitals in the area rely greatly on the donations from each drive to maintain adequate blood supply. Human blood cannot be substituted and needs to be renewed constantly.
Here are some important things to remember before, during and after donating blood: Always remember before donating to get a good night’s sleep, drink plenty of fluids and eat a healthy meal three hours prior to the time of donation. For donors, it is a good idea to relax and find something to focus on during the donation, such as listening to music, reading a book or talking to another donor. After finishing donating, grab a snack and rest for a few minutes in the provided refreshments area, continue drinking fluids and avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activity throughout the rest of the day.
Each donor will have to answer a series of pre-donation questions before to ensure that they are eligible to donate. To save time, Donor Express is a good way to complete those questions online before donating instead of on-site. Anyone wishing to use Donor Express can access it by visiting obi.org on the day of the donation and clicking the Donor Express link. After finishing all of the pre-donation questions, simply print a form containing several barcodes. These barcodes encode the answers, so donors will need to take it, along with a photo ID and present it to the OBI staff. OBI staff will review responses and administer other health checks if needed to ensure that the donor is eligible and ready to donate. Donor Express will not only save time but also improve donor experience.
To volunteer to help, reserve a donation time, or for any additional information regarding the blood drive contact Stewart at 580-327-8178 or rsstewart@nwosu.edu.