Tracy High School held a blood drive hosted by Delta Blood bank on Dec. 9. Blood drives are about donating safe and reliable blood to people in need. Giving blood is something simple, but it can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

“Donating blood has saved many lives,” senior Alejandro Armendariz said. “I think it is great that our school is able to hold blood drives.”

There was a table set up for students to sign up to donate blood a week prior to the blood drive. There are certain requirements for donors regarding age and weight, so this allows enough time to determine whether a person can donate or not.

“I hate needles, so I was not sure if I actually wanted to donate blood,” junior Hayley Swift said, “but I knew it was for a good cause, so I signed up.”

Students must be at least 17 years old and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds to donate blood. Students who are 16 and want to donate, must weigh a minimum of 115 pounds and have their parents’ consent. Before going to get blood drawn, it is important for donors to drink plenty of fluids, and they should not skip any meals.

“My mom made sure I ate a lot of iron rich foods before getting my blood drawn,” junior Julia Cross said. “Although I hate anything that has to do with needles, it wasn’t so bad for my first time donating blood. I don’t regret anything about it.”

The process including tests, registration, and donation takes an hour. The actual blood donation process typically takes less than 15 minutes.

“I was very nervous before going in to get my blood drawn,” senior Areysi Rodriguez said, “but it was an interesting experience, and I plan on donating blood again in the future.”

There are tests and mini-physicals that are mandatory before getting blood drawn. These tests determine whether or not an individual is eligible to donate blood.

“I was disappointed when they told me I could not donate blood because I weighed 109.2 pounds, and you have to weigh at least 110 pounds to donate,” senior Cecilia Duarte said.

For every individual that donates blood, three lives can be saved. The Delta Blood Bank has been saving lives for the past 50 years and is looking for more donors. Fifty-eight students from Tracy High donated a pint of blood.