Riverbank High School hosted a Spring Blood Drive in the Ray Fauria Gym on Wednesday, May 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Delta Blood Bank marketing assistant Marcela Sartuche was there to greet students when they arrived.

According to blood bank regulations, blood donors should be in good general health, at least 17 years of age and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds. They will accept donors that are 16 years old, but they must have parental consent and weigh a minimum of 115 pounds. Delta also recommends that the students do not skip meals and they drink plenty of fluids prior to donating.

 “The donors need to be in good health and two weeks before donating we recommend that they are eating foods that contain iron,” said Sartuche.

The process includes registration, a brief health screening and plenty of paperwork for the students before they get a chance to make the actual donation of blood.

Students received a special T-shirt from Delta Blood Bank for donating.

High school student donors are required by law to spend at least 20 minutes at the canteen before heading back to class. At the canteen student donors had a variety to choose from: orange juice, water, apple juice, cookies, almonds, crackers, and raisins.

RHS junior Osvaldo Lizarraga was spending time in the canteen with sophomore Oralia Esquivel after donating blood. They were both wearing their new T-shirts. When asked why they volunteered to donate blood and Esquivel stated it was a way “to give back.”

According to Ann Stevenson, Director of Marketing for Delta, there were 53 students at RHS that registered to donate blood. They were able to collect 49 units which was just shy of their projected collection amount.

“It was a very successful blood drive,” said Stevenson. “We are very grateful to the amazing students who donated during the blood drive. Because one unit of blood can save up to three patients, Riverbank High School students helped save up to 147 lives.”