Possibly saving a life is on Wednesday’s schedule for students 16 and older as the school hosts its spring blood drive in conjunction with Carter BloodCare.

“[High school blood drives have] a huge impact for us, getting to introduce young donors to the donation process and then building a long term relationship,” Carter BloodCare manager of client relations Andrea Sign said. “So you can start donating when you’re 16 with parental permission, so if we can introduce you to it at 16 and get you started to make you a lifelong blood donor, then that’s just an amazing opportunity.”

For the past month, sign-ups took place in the cafeteria during lunches and passes will excuse donors from classes when it’s time for their donation time slot. Students will also be escorted back to class to ensure safety post blood donation.

“It’s important for the people who signed up to eat a good meal before donating blood to prevent lightheadedness or fainting,” HOSA officer Haniah Bashir said via text. “Those who have donated blood four times throughout their high school career are eligible for a blood donation chord.”

Carter BloodCare provides the equipment for the drive while HOSA administers the sign-in process. Students who donate will also be provided snacks and a free shirt.

“Hosting the blood drive at Liberty is one of the greatest opportunities ever as sometimes hospitals in the area just don’t have enough blood or the right type of blood for a patient to receive,” HOSA officer Kanika Kappalayil said via text. “The fact that we have a wide pool of high school students able to and enthusiastic about donating, means that Liberty itself can help out blood banks in stocking up on more blood since it can be a somewhat rare commodity at times.”