On February 28, 2019, Holt will be hosting their annual blood drive during school hours. All blood will be donated to the American Red Cross. The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization. The donation process will last around two hours for you and afterwards, you will receive a snack and drink to balance out your blood sugar.                                        The American Red Cross Association has a six step process to make sure the blood they receive is clean and safe to use: Donation, Processing, Testing, Storage, Distribution and Transfusion. After you donate blood, it will be processed in a machine that separates red cells, platelets and plasma from each other. Then the blood is tested for infectious diseases and if it passes, it will be stored at six degrees celcius for up to 42 days.                                                                                Next, the blood will be distributed to hospitals 24 hours a day, seven days a week in case of large scale emergencies. The last step in this process is the transfusion for the patient in need of the blood.                                                                             The American Red Cross donation signups will be open during your lunch schedule from February 4 to February 14. You must have a parental consent form along with a Missouri state identification card meaning you will have to be at least 16 years of age. The donations will take place in the gym and you will need to remember the last 4 digits of your social security number.