by Hannah Mooney

Willow Springs High School will be holding its second blood drive of the year on January 28, 2011. Student council members have a goal of collecting 101 blood donations. Anyone who is interested in donating should sign the blue form at Alice’s Office. Everyone who donates will receive a free t-shirt and an Incredible Pizza Coupon.

While blood of every type is needed, the hospitals that the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO)  serves are currently under a CODE YELLOW ALERT for Type O Negative and Type A Negative blood.  A Code Yellow Alert means that there is currently less than a two day supply of blood available for use by patients at the thirty-seven area hospitals served by CBCO donors.

There are many ways that you can help patients in need. If you have never given blood before, then a whole blood donation is probably the best way to start. Your donation will help save up to three lives and will take less than one hour of your time. Anyone who is in good health, is at least sixteen years old (16 year old donors require written permission from parent or guardian), and weighs at least 110 pounds may donate blood every 56 days.