Life is so precious but it can be so fragile when someone gets the chance to save a life they should take it. For instance giving blood is a good way to preserve or save a life. Blood is a vital life source and some one needs blood every two seconds and four million people each year.  Every 56 days or every two months females receive 53 percent of Transfusions and males receive 47 percent.

When someone donates one pint it has the potential to save three lives. While there is a great need for blood, only 10 percent do so annually.

            That’s why Franklin high school and the Delta Blood Bank of Stockton teamed up in the library last Thursday to get blood for people who really need it.

Last time there was a blood drive, 70 people signed up and this year, 100 people signed up this year.  However, Sean Airrington, senior, said that due to the time constraint, “We had to cut it short to 80 people.”

One of the students, who contribute blood, was Amanda Garcia, senior.  Garcia said, “I have donated before and this is my last pint to complete my goal of donating a gallon of blood.”

Sergeant Pedro Lopez, JROTC instructor, said, “Our goal was to receive up to 63 units to donate to the people in our community.”  The final tally will not be known until later this week.

Many students helped to organized the blood bank and assist the nurses as needed.  In addition to Airrington, they include: Ruben Garcia, senior, Victoria Mata senior, Maleni Romero, senior, Alfredo Ortiz, senior,Efren Munoz, senior, Juan Andrade, junior, Juan Vasquez, junior, Kathlenna Lounechany, junior, and Amanda Rueda, sophomore.

If you would like to donate, you need to be 17 and older or you can be 16 with a parent’s consent. Other requirements for a donor includes the stipulation that donors must weigh at least 115 pounds if your 16 years old or 110 if your 17 years or older. You must also sign up two to three weeks in advance to allow volunteers at the blood bank to call your parents to verify that you can donate blood.  If you are eligible and are able to donate, you will get a blood bank tee-shirt.