Vincent Massey Secondary School

Blood Donation Clinics '09-'10

Thank you for your interest in participating in one of our Blood Donation Clinics. This website tells you all you need to know, as well as provide electronic copies of the permission forms you must provide to be eligible to participate.

The Next Blood Donation Clinic Date is Wednesday, May 26

Bus leaves at 10:20. There will be no annoucement. Don't miss the bus!

Blood Donor Meeting for new Donors: Period 5, Tuesday May 25, Room 204

Permission Forms are due No Later Than Tuesday, May 25

Step 1: Click here to electronically add your name to this sign up sheet (there are no paper sign up sheets, only this electronic one) if you plan on participating in a blood donor clinic (signing up here does not force you to participate, it simply indicates your interest in participating). If you sign up, but later decide that you don't want to or can't participate, please let Mr. Bontront know.
Step 2: Click here to download the permission form. (If you get an error message, then right-click the link, and choose Save File As, then open the saved file) It is in PDF format (get the latest version of Adobe Reader Here). Print out all four pages, fill it out completely, sign it and place in the folder on the door to room 204.. If you are a new donor and can't make it to the blood donor meeting, you MUST see Mr. Bontront before or after school BEFORE the blood donation clinic date.

A maximum of 35 students can participate in the blood donor clinic. The first 35 completed forms received by the above date will be allowed to participate.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible to donate blood, you must:

Be at least 17 years of age
Weigh at least 50 kg (about 110 lbs)
Be in good health and feel well (can't have a cold, flu, fever, coughing, injury, disease, etc...)
Provide government-issued photo identification at the blood donor clinic (it must have your full name, photo and signature, such as a driver's license or new Ontario Health Card). If you have already donated blood, your Canadian Blood Services ID card is sufficient identification.
Your blood will be tested for the amount of iron it contains to make sure it has a minimum amount (so that it is safe for any potential recipent). You will also be asked several screening questions to determine if it is safe for you to donate blood and safe for any future recipient to receive your blood.

The following conditions or situations will temporarily make you ineligible to donate blood for the indicated time frame. If any of these situations apply to you, please do not hand in a permission form (if you signed up electronically, please let me know you can't attend):

If you had a flu shot, you must wait at least 2 days before donating blood
If you had any kind of dental work (including a checkup and cleaning), you must wait three days before donating blood
If you have already donated blood, you must wait a minimum of 56 days before donating blood again (our blood clinic dates are 56 or more days apart)
If you have had any ear piercing, body piercing or tatoo, you must wait six months before donating blood
If you take any kind of medication or pills (other than vitamins), you may be ineligible to donate. To check in advance, call 1-888-2-DONATE and ask to speak to a nurse.
If you were born in, or have spent some time in, a country other than Canada or the US, you may be ineligible to donate. The list of countries that this applies to changes all the time. If this situation applies to you, call 1-888-2-DONATE and ask to speak to a nurse to find out if you are eligible to donate.

Things to do before you donate

Make sure you have breakfast, and drink lots of fluids
Drink the equivalent of a bottle of water the morning of the donation (this makes it easier for the nurse to find your vein, and it needle hurts less!)
Bring your ID. You won't be allowed to board the bus without it (since you need it at the clinic to donate)
Bring your lunch and reading material, music or work to do, you will be there for about 4 hours and will spend most of your time waiting for your turn, or waiting for all the others to finish.

Transportation Details

A school bus will leave the school at 10:20 am sharp for the blood donor clinic. You will return to Massey on the school bus sometime around 2:45 pm.

Visit the Canadian Blood Services website for more details about donating blood.