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Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
National Honor Society sponsors second blood drive of school year
Twice a school year, the National Honor Society sponsors a blood drive. The second drive was held in the Charles Lorber Gymnasium Wednesday, March 22.
Forty donors signed up to participate. Impact for Life provided the personnel, equipment and expertise to take the blood and store it properly until it reached its destination.
The collection is a bit more complicated than it sounds. A small brochure contains all the pertinent information for donors.
The handout also contains information on proper behavior after the donation is given and what to do if problems occur.
A mini-physical is then performed which involves finding the blood pressure, pulse, temperature, height, weight, and Hemoglobin level of volunteers. All prospective donors undergo a short interview as well. Kari Eastin, ImpactLife site coordinator explained that all privacy and HIPAA rules are followed. Virginia was not allowed to take pictures of certain areas so those standards would be met.
ImpactLife’s slogan is “Changing the World Together.”
ImpactLife was formerly called Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. It is currently the exclusive provider of blood products and services to more than 120 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
In one year, ImpactLife collects blood at 22 fixed donor centers and more than 5,000 mobile blood drives held each year. While the blood supply nationwide is now considered stabile, it is vulnerable to shortages frequently.
Everyone eligible to donate should visit www.bloodcenter.org and determine the best way to help.
In addition to providing a necessary and valuable service, the National Honor Society is eligible to apply for a grant.
These LifeSavings School Grants can be used in a number of ways. Funding student scholarships, making charitable donations, meeting classroom curriculum needs or simply advancing the ImpactLife mission are good examples.
The scholarship amount for one drive is $250 plus $1 per donation collected. The drive first semester is being used for a scholarship.
All public and private pre-K-12 schools within the ImpactLife service region that host a blood drive.
Tysann Gipple and Lanie Szewczyk have positioned themselves on the donor cots. The process is as comfortable as possible and does not take long. (Virginia Ekstrand/The Journal)
Cory Reid — NHS Sponsor, Kalyana Durr, Reeves Jacobs, Background Averie Senn, Eliana Manning, and Natalie Burden are working checking in donors. The NHS members also had the difficult duty of checking out the snacks offered to the visitors. The smiles tell us they must have made the taste test. (Virginia Ekstrand/The Journal)
