Blood Donation Day - Tuesday, 21 October

By Rob Wither | Posted: Thursday October 9, 2025

Tēnā koutou to the parents and caregivers of all Year 12 and 13 students aged sixteen and over.

Annual Blood Donation Day

Our Annual Blood Donation Day has arrived for our Year 12 and 13 students aged sixteen and over.

Below is an outline of the blood donation process and other relevant information to help potentially eligible students make informed decisions. Please note that this information is being shared with all Year 12 and 13 students, parents, and caregivers.

A special thanks to two Year 13 students, Oliver Mackenzie and Flynn MacGill-Brown, for their help with organisation this year.

Specific Details

When:
Tuesday, 21 October (morning only, at three times: 9:05am, 9:45am, and 10:20am).
A free bus to and from the NZ Blood Service is provided.

Where to Sign Up:
The signup sheet and further details about eligibility and logistics for the Blood Donation Day on 21 October are available in Mr Wither’s office (Guidance Counsellor’s office located in “The Castle” — far side, through the far-right blue door as you face the building, beside his office door).
Alternatively, you can contact Mr Wither via email: [email protected]

Eligibility:
You must be sixteen years or older (Year 12 and 13) and meet certain criteria to donate blood. Please bring photo ID and refer to the attached sheet for more information.

We need eighteen student volunteers, plus reserves to cover contingencies such as illness, eligibility issues, or unavailability.

All students who volunteer—whether or not they are able to donate—will be recognised by the school.

What You Need to Know

• Free buses will depart from OBHS at 9:05am, 9:45am, and 10:20am.

• If you sign up to donate, please arrive five minutes early with your ID, meeting outside the main entrance to the lobby of “The Castle.”

• Please excuse yourself from class; your teachers are aware of Blood Donation Day.

Further detailed information is attached, outlining the procedure and where to find additional resources for students, parents, and caregivers to make informed decisions and confirm eligibility.

Finally, this is a notification to parents and caregivers that, should your child wish to donate blood, the school will be sharing your contact details with the NZ Blood Service.
This is for health and safety reasons, to support your child’s wellbeing during the donation process and to ensure you can be contacted should they need to go home and rest afterward.

Facts About Blood Donation

• Every day, 83 New Zealanders need lifesaving blood or plasma.

• Every 18 minutes, someone in New Zealand requires blood or plasma.

• Donated blood lasts only 35 days.

• O+ and A+ are the two most common blood types in New Zealand, and there is always high demand for these.

• Once you donate, you will find out your own blood type.

• One blood donation can save up to three lives.

Video Resource

Here is the NZ School Blood Donors video link, which will also be shown to students at senior assembly on Tuesday, 14 October, for all Year 12 and 13 students aged sixteen and over: