A pint of blood donated can save up to three lives and Lone Star High School will host their annual spring blood drive on April 10. Donors must be 16 years or older and if they are of the age of 16 they are required to fill out a parent permission form beforehand.

“I decided to donate blood because it’s not hard and it can save people’s lives so that is pretty amazing and extremely important,” Kila Curran, 2016, said. “Others should donate because the more the merrier.”

The American Red Cross Organization stresses the importance of donating blood because in every two seconds that pass by someone in the United States is in need of blood.

“To be able to help provide an extra heart beat to someone who really needs it is one of the most amazing feelings,” Addy Ames, 2016, said.

The number of blood donations collected in a year in the U.S. is only a fraction what is needed. Daily our country is in need of over 41,000 blood donations, an estimated amount of 38 percent of Americans are eligible to donate while less than 10 percent actually do.

“Your donations help ensure that blood is available when it is needed the most. In fact, you could help save more than one life with just a single donation,” Priya Shah, 2017, said.

The average adult has around ten pints of blood in their body and around one pint is given during a donation and a healthy donor is able to donate red blood cells every 56 days.

“I know that by donating blood I’m helping a good cause. There can never be too much to give back,” Neena Iqbal, 2015, said. “Others should donate because it doesn’t take a long time, and you get that feeling of knowing you are helping someone.”

The most common reasons people are not donating blood is because they have not thought of it or the fear of needles. The American Red Cross holds over 200,000 blood drives that provide convenient locations for people to donate and help lives everywhere.

“When I’m old enough, I will try to donate blood as long as I stay healthy and exercise everyday,” Shah said.