Blood Drives
Donate blood
Appointments are strongly encouraged.You can move to the front of the line at your appointment time to get you in and out sooner!
Volunteer
If you aren’t able to donate blood, you can contribute to the success of the drive by volunteering.
Next Blood Drive: April 3, 2013
Eight locations throughout the university!
If you donated blood on or before January 29, you will be eligible to donate again on April 3.
Blood Drive schedule and locations
Blood Drives - sponsored in partnership with American Red Cross and Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center - take place four times per academic year, at 8-12 locations across all Washington University in St. Louis campuses.
Danforth University Center - Room 234 |
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center Danforth Campus |
Danforth University Center - Room 276 |
9 a.m.-9 p.m. American Red Cross Danforth Campus |
| Lopata Hall Gallery |
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center Danforth Campus |
| Medical School - Olin Gym |
10 a.m.-6 p.m. American Red Cross Medicine |
| Simon Hall - Undergraduate Lounge |
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center Danforth Campus |
| South 40 - College Hall |
2-9 p.m. American Red Cross Danforth Campus |
| Village House Dining Room |
3-9 p.m. American Red Cross Danforth Campus |
| West Campus - Room 350 |
8 a.m.-1 p.m. Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center West Campus |
BEFORE your donation
Make sure to eat foods high in iron such as red meat, raisins and green, leafy vegetables a couple days before donating to ensure that your iron level is high enough to donate. NOTE: (stay away from tea; it depletes your iron level).
• Bring a picture id with you to the blood drive.
• Get plenty of rest the night before.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Eat before the actual donation.
• Talk to the staff before the donation if there are any concerns.
AFTER your donation
Enjoy the good feeling that comes with knowing that you may have saved lives!
• Be sure to eat regular meals
• Drink plenty of fluids over the next 24-48 hours to replenish any fluids you lost during donation.
• Avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for about five hours after donation.
• If you feel light headed, lie down, preferably with feet elevated, until the feeling passes.
• Avoid smoking for one hour after donating.
Appointments vs. walk-ins
When donors sign in, they are added to the schedule in order of arrival. Within each 15-minute time block, donors with appointments in that time block have priority over walk-in donors. Once donors with appointments in a given time block have been seen, walk-in donors are called until the next time block begins.
Donor appointment times are always honored. If, however, a donor with an appointment arrives a few minutes before the scheduled time block, a walk-in from a previous time block may be called up until the next time block begins. The blood banks have allowed time for walk-ins in their schedules, so this happens fairly frequently.