The Blood Center of Iowa » Sponsor a Blood Drive

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Sponsor a High School Blood Drive

Get the Word Out!

Spreading the word about your blood drive is a critical element to the success of the event. Be creative and have fun when promoting the blood drive!

Consider the following:

• Hang posters around school. If the blood drive is open to the public, hang posters around town as well.
• Get the school paper involved by giving them story ideas and ask them to take pictures the day of the blood drive.
• Give five minute speeches in classrooms to get the students excited about giving blood!
• Ask the teachers to announce the blood drive in class and encourage students to participate.
• Have PA announcements made about the blood drive.
• Promote the blood drive on your school marquee.

Make the Blood Drive Memorable

For many students, the college blood drive will be their first blood donation experience. Make the drive fun and memorable so donors will feel relaxed and encouraged to donate again in the future.

• Create a theme for the blood drive. The theme can be anything related to school activities, pop culture or maybe even a holiday (Halloween blood drives are always fun!).
• Compete against other schools in your same class size (1A, 2A, 3A & 4A) to win a $1000 scholarship for one student in your school. Winners will be selected based on the highest percentage of eligible students who donate blood. Contact your Blood Center Representative for additional information.
• Contact local businesses and ask them to provide gift certificates or other items for a drawing at the blood drive.
• When asking students to sign up to donate, be enthusiastic! A face-to-face invitation to donate is the best way to get a positive response from donors!

Tips for Recruiting Blood Donors

Here are some great ideas to consider when recruiting blood donors:

• Find out if any students in your school have used blood and ask them to share their story. Being asked to donate blood by someone who has used blood is very powerful!
• Talk to students and/or teachers who donate blood regularly and ask them to share their past donation experience(s). These stories can often make first time donors feel more comfortable with the idea of donating blood.
• Create a committee to contact past donors and ask them to sign up to donate. If your blood drive includes the community, consider contacting school alumni and local civic groups.
• Do something special to reward students for signing up ahead of time. You can offer a School Colors Day, special treats or maybe even a discount in the cafeteria.

Additional Resources for a School Blood Drive

The Blood Center has a variety of brochures and recruitment materials that you may find helpful to use when planning a blood drive and recruiting blood donors. You can download these materials here, or ask your Blood Center Representative to provide these materials to you.

Students can show their commitment to helping others in the community by donating one gallon of blood before they graduate from high school!
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