On February 27, Bailey Winter’s advisory will be hosting a blood drive for their senior service project. From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Fossil Ridge High School students will be able to come by the UCHealth bus, which will be parked in front of the school throughout the day. 

Elisa Runtsch, the senior who is the primary leader of the blood drive, explained that Winter’s advisory chose to “do a blood drive, as there is a national blood shortage throughout the nation,” and it would make a positive impact on the world around them. It was not simply Runtsch’s idea, though; the blood drive has been a class effort and the whole advisory is coordinating and figuring out individual parts of the project.

Students that are interested in donating blood can sign up at this link, or can find posters throughout the school which have a QR code to scan that will link directly to the sign-up website. While any students can sign up to donate blood, students that are 17 or younger will have to fill out a permission slip. These slips will be available in the front office, and they will be distributed to students that are interested during Advisory on February 13. The website has information about the process of donating blood—from the paperwork and finger-stick test beforehand to the short rest and snack after—for those who have never had their blood drawn. 

The blood collected at Fossil will be given to the UCHealth blood bank. The blood there is used for blood transfusions, trauma victims, and other people in need of blood donations. Winter’s Advisory is excited about the blood drive and explained that they felt “that [the blood drive] was a project that could make a difference in the local community, and would also allow the entire Fossil community to get connected with [their] project.”