Students in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s JROTC program are holding a blood drive that will be held on Thursday, Jan. 26, and located in the senior lot. This is the second blood drive being held by JROTC in the 2022-2023 school year. Signups are open on Monday, Jan. 23, during both A and B lunches.

Tables will be set up outside room 509 to inform potential donors and hand out forms to sign up. To be eligible, the applicant must be a minimum weight of 110 pounds, be 16 years old or older and must fill out the mandatory form that must be signed by their guardian.

The event is sponsored by OneBlood. OneBlood is a nonprofit organization, set to provide communities with more affordable blood. They are most known for their advertisement “Big Red Bus,” often seen driving around communities.

The morning of the blood drive, JROTC recommends following certain steps to donate safety.

“On the day of the event we advise donors to only eat a small amount of food before donating to ensure viable blood is given and to prevent the risk of fainting,” senior and JROTC member Jia Ying Chen said.

After their blood is drawn, they will receive a t-shirt and socks for participating in the drive.

This drive is to help those in need of blood donation, as a person is in need of a blood transfusion every three seconds.The blood drive aims to contribute safe blood to those who lack access to it.