It’s about time again for the annual FHN blood drive hosted by HOSA. This year the blood drive is on  Jan. 27 during school in the main gym. Students and staff can sign up during lunches or in HOSA sponsor, Matthew Riffee’s classroom until all 300 spots are filled.

“To register to give blood, a student must be 16-years-old with a parent’s permission and 17 without a parent’s permission and must weigh at least 110 pounds,” HOSA president Caty Arnold said. “Once at the appointment, the student’s vitals are checked to make sure everything is healthy before blood is drawn.”

The day of the drive everyone who signed up to donate blood will come down to the gym throughout the day. They will complete paperwork and then donate blood for about five minutes. After donating blood everyone will receive a snack, drink, t-shirt, and will rest for a couple minutes before going back to class. Members of the HOSA club are working to make sure there are not the long lines like last year by making sure that there are enough staff and people helping out throughout the day.

“We’re super proud to be the largest high school blood drive in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area,” Riffee said.

The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center comes on the day of the blood drive and their phlebotomists (nurses trained to draw blood) come and draw the blood from all the people at the blood drive. Every person gives about a pint of blood, and each pint of blood saves on average three lives.

“Giving blood might be a little intimidating, but it’s not bad or painful,” Head of Blood Drive Committee Michael Shine said. “Everyone should do it because you’ll feel great afterward and it’s cool to know that blood from our school will save so many lives.”