Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps held the annual Blood Drive on Thursday, Jan. 26, in the senior lot on the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

So far, JROTC has held one other blood drive this 2022-2023 school year. OneBlood sponsors all blood drives for JROTC each year. There should be one more blood drive this year on April 17. The money raised from MSD is donated to OneBlood to help save lives.

One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Some requirements to donate to the blood drive is you must be at least sixteen years old and 110 pounds. Students can then leave their class to donate by receiving a pass once filled out the waiver that was located outside the cafeteria and the campus of MSD. Students also have to fill out the waiver and get their oxygen levels checked.

“If you are 16 or younger, you had to have your parents sign off on paperwork that we had to let us know if parents would allow you to give blood,” JROTC Battalion Executive Officer and senior Richie Perez said.

The blood drive took place on January 26 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. JROTC had a stand to give free food and drinks out to all of the donors as gratitude and help them replenish their bodies after donating. There was also a brochure handed out that includes additional information about the donation process and getting into contact with people who have already donated to OneBlood.

“There was food, beverages, seating with tents and also an industrial fan that could provide cooler conditions,” Perez said.

The overall goal from the blood drive was to get at least 100 pints of blood and as many donations as possible.

“JROTC ended up raising $1,460,” JROTC S7 Special Projects Officer and senior Leah Strach said. “I believe we had 73 people donate, which is around 73 pints of blood, including plasma donations.”

JROTC partnered up with OneBlood to carry out the blood drive. OneBlood is a non-profit community asset responsible for providing safe, available and affordable blood to more than 200 hospital partners and their patients throughout most of Florida, but also to parts of Georgia.

Recently, OneBlood has traveled to help Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina. OneBlood also works with The Big Red Bus and is a blood donation center throughout Tampa Bay and South, Southeast and Central Florida area.

To learn more about the blood drive and the process, you can go to OneBlood’s website or get one of the brochures OneBlood has provided with the permission forms at the sign up tables on the campus.

MSD has been hosting blood drives on the campus since 2017. It also helps students get an understanding about helping others and selflessness. Many people reach out to OneBlood to help friends, family and strangers in their community. Blood drives bring everyone together to help save others lives.