On Tuesday, October 31, the American Red Cross held a blood drive in Stamford High’s small gym. Stamford High students worked hard to get people signed up to donate blood, and on the day of the drive, students and teachers were lined up and ready.

The Red Cross collects 600-650 pints of blood per day, and the blood is then taken to a lab in Farmington where it is tested. A dozen tests are done on each unit of donated blood to test for infectious diseases and determine the donor’s blood type. If the blood is infected, it is discarded and the donor is notified.

Three-year worker Clint Howson explained that, on average, it takes only 15 minutes to draw blood and the donor is not allowed to participate in any physical activities for the rest of the day. Stamford High student Patrice Pinnock said, “It’s great that The Red Cross comes to local schools and creates a friendly environment for kids to go and donate blood.”

Each donation can be used to save up to three lives. Many recipients of blood donations share their stories online at redcrossblood.org. The Stamford High community is looking forward to hosting another blood drive in the spring.