The Carter BloodCare Bus is back at the flagpole until Friday March 31. The bus will be parked outside from 9:30 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. If you donate blood you receive gift points and they will give you a Powerade and a snack to recover.

Jackie Brown, senior journalism major, donates blood every eight weeks. When she went to the bus on Tuesday, she was turned away because she didn’t have enough hemoglobin to donate.

There are other requirements to donate blood as well. For example, you cannot donate blood if you are pregnant. You are also ineligible to donate if are diagnosed or undergoing treatment of cancer, have heart disease, lung disease, organ or donor tissue transfused or transplanted in the last 12 months, have any infections like the cold or flu, are at risk of HIV or hepatitis, or are taking any of the medications listed on the Carter Blood Care website.

The whole blood donation in its entirety, from registration to post-donation refreshments takes less than an hour. The actual blood draw takes five to ten minutes.

The average person has 10 to 12 pints of blood in his/her body, of which only one pint is donated. The human body replaces the blood volume lost in donation will be replaced in 2-3 days. It takes about two months for the body to replace all of the red cells.

Eat a well-balanced meal and drink plenty of fluids within 24 hours of drawing blood. Drinking fluids after donating will help replenish your body and help you feel better. Avoid alcohol before and after giving and stay away from strenuous activity for 24 hours after giving.

If you have any questions regarding the blood drive, contact Chase Jenkins at [email protected] or visit the event website.