by Eric Cobb

It’s that time of the year again! April 30 marks the date of the next JTHS Blood Drive.  Our school has a long history of hosting student blood drives under the veil of Heartland Blood Centers.  It is a time for students to give back to the community, and the country, in a very important way.  By donating blood, not only do you feel really good about yourself, but you are potentially saving a life with every single donation.  You are allowed to donate every eight weeks so you can potentally save six lives a year just by donating a little of your time!  At the last blood drive we had over one hunded and forty students who donated, and we are hoping to have even more donate this time around.  Remember, if you recently have been out of the country or gotten a piercing or tattoo you may not be allowed to donate.  If you are unsure if you are able to, sign up anyway and answer all the questions they give you correctly and the nurses will tell you whether or not you can donate.  All you have to lose is a bit of your time (and hey, you get to miss your least favorite class for this!)  There is nothing to be afraid of, for those of you who have never donated before.  It is a very safe procedure that is performed by professionals who take blood on a daily basis.  Remember, if you are 16 you need your parents permission to donate and they don’t accept donations from anybody under 16.  Remember to eat a full breakfast and to take it easy after donating.  If you really feel good about yourself afterwards, know that you don’t have to wait for Heartland to come back to donate, just head over to Heartland Blood Center  every eight weeks for your bi-monthly donation.  The staff is friendly there and there is much less traffic and more fulfillment out of it, at least that is what I’ve experienced, as somebody who donates regularly.  Remember, if every donation makes you a hero then you can donate on a regular basis to be a superhero!