Del Mar College will host a community blood drive with the Coastal Bend Blood Center on Nov. 18 at its Oso Creek Campus, located at 7002 Yorktown Boulevard. The event is open to the public from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Joshua Delagarza, office assistant in the Student Engagement and Retention Office at Oso Creek, highlighted the value of blood donations. “Blood drives are incredibly important for keeping our community healthy and prepared, offering real benefits for both donors and recipients,” Delagarza said. “Plus, donors at this event will receive a blood center T-shirt, a pair of Ice Rays tickets, and for every unit donated, the blood center will give a food item to the Coastal Bend Food Bank.”
To donate, individuals must bring a photo ID, be in generally good health, and meet specific criteria. Donors need to be at least 17 years old, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds (115 pounds if age 17), and have normal blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.
It’s important that potential donors have not donated whole blood in the past eight weeks or double red cells within the last 16 weeks. Donors should not have a cold or sore throat, be pregnant, or be under a doctor’s care for serious conditions. Those taking antibiotics for an active infection are also ineligible.
Students and community members can sign up by scanning the QR code on campus flyers or by calling the Coastal Bend Blood Center directly at 361-855-4943.
