While spring is settling in, warm weather is becoming more prevalent, and April showers have tainted our afternoons, the Red Cross plans to “grow” the blood donations at the end of the month. However, the Red Cross and Student Senate need more than water and soil to build up this blood supply on April 30th. Continuing with the generous contribution of 185 pints of blood from Arrowhead’s December drive, AHS plans to hold its very first spring blood drive.

On Monday April 30th, Arrowhead’s East Gym will be filled with willing donors and plates full of cookies from 1 P.M. until 7 P.M. This after-work-hours time was decided on to include members of the community in addition to the hundreds of generous students.

Just a reminder to those planning to donate: make sure you eat and drink before you donate in order to increase your iron levels, a reoccurring reason for deferral at the winter drive. Also, get a good night’s sleep on Sunday, avoid fatty foods to reduce the chance of infecting the blood, and if you are a platelet donor, remember that your system must be free of aspirin for two days prior to the donation.

If you missed the time sign-up at lunch, call 1-800-GIVELIFE or log onto www.givebloodgivelife.org. Otherwise, keep your appointment card handy and show up in the North Campus gym at your designated time. Hopefully the community’s benevolence will stem an effort to make the Spring Blood Drive an annual event!