The Red Cross is partnering with Wayne State College to host a blood drive on Feb. 19.
The blood drive will be put on by WSC’s American Red Cross Club in the Frey Conference room in the student center. Cataleena Lortz, the vice president of the American Red Cross club, said walk-ins are allowed, but signing up through the Blood Donor app will make the process a lot smoother.
“We really prefer if you have a set time to come in, because walk-ins depend on if anyone is available or not,” Lortz said.
It’s Lortz’s first time at the helm of the blood drive, as she will be taking over next semester when the current president graduates.
“This semester is kind of my training,” Lortz said.
Lortz said the club mostly handles the logistics of the event, but the actual blood drawing is done by professionals. “The actual American Red Cross group comes to the college to do the blood drive,” Lortz said. “We mostly just handle the logistics, like getting a space reserved for them and letting people know what’s going on.”
People interested in giving blood can schedule a time and make the donating process faster by filling out the required forms before their appointment on the Red Cross Blood Donor app.
“It normally takes about an hour for the full process of donating,” Lortz said. “But if you fill out your health information online, it won’t take nearly as long, because the actual donation only takes about 10 minutes.”
The Red Cross’s website recommends that anyone interested in donating make sure they are prepared by eating iron-rich foods like red meat, fish and beans and drinking plenty of water, especially the day of the blood drive.
“Supplements are also important,” Lortz said. “If you are taking any, you have to make sure to address it on the forms.”
Lortz says that anyone nervous about giving blood has nothing to worry about, and that the process will be done by professionals.
“The people actually drawing blood are medical professionals who are certified,” Lortz said. “You aren’t going to have some volunteer who doesn’t know what they are doing miss your veins.”
Anyone interested in donating on Feb. 19 can download the Red Cross Blood Donor app and schedule a time to donate or go to the American Cross website for more information.