IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

PRE-ROOKIE CHALLENGE
If you are a Pre-Rookie team, or are sponsoring a pre-rookie team for the IRI, please register the team through the IRI website.

There is no entry fee, but we need to know how many teams to plan for.

SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarhship page is up and running. You need a 500 word essay and two reference letters. Entry requirement is by July 10.

There are 5 scholarships, 4 technical and one for education.

BLOOD DRIVE
We are working to coordinate a Blood Drive one of the IRI days.
Please save your blood so you can donate.
You get to help people, and you get free cookies and juice.:)

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

Sign me up for the blood drive.

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

I'm in for a pint. Thanks to Team 829 this was possible.

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

Is it 17 or 18 to donate blood?

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

Here are some guidelines. Looks like you can be 17 and give blood.

At IRI, I believe that the Red Cross mobile unit will be in the north parking lot.

Also, thanks to Dan and team 829 for setting this up and giving both organizations a chance to help each other (FIRST teams and American Red Cross).

Andy B.

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

i'll try to give blood. although at an event as exciting as IRI.... double the wooziness!

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

can you imagine someone getting blood from a firster. all that dew in are systems must have some kind of effect on the recipient.

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

I just donated this week, so I won't be eligible.

If we don't get enough people trooping out to the parking lot, I'll have to tell my heart-rending story. It should be good to get a few more units out of bodies and into bags.

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

I would like to hear the story....:)

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

Thanks. If IRI were one week later I'd be 17 :( I'll get someone on the team to donate a pint for me! ]:-}>

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

Students - this is a great opportunity for you - deadline is TUESDAY (10 July)

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

I'll donate blood. It feels good, to have that opportunity at the event. Thanks for coordinating it.

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

Is the blood drive planned for Friday or Saturday? Any specific time? Is there any pre-registration?

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

The blood drive will be on Saturday, though I'm not sure of the specific time frame.

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

I don't believe this has been said, so I'd like to put it out there:

For all of you planning to donate blood this weekend, thank you. I have been in need of donated blood before, it means a lot to me personally. For those of you who are undecided, it is a very safe procedure and you will bounce back very quickly to roboteering as long as you take care of yourself :). Please keep a few things in mind when you donate this weekend.

- Get a good night's sleep before hand. You are going to be tired this weekend, Robot comps do that, but if you plan to donate blood it's good to be rested

- Drink a lot of water - more than you normally would, to replace the fluid you will be donating. Try to avoid caffeine if you can, such as coffee, tea, and yes too much of the good old Mountain Dew.

- Iron rich food (red meat, poultry, fish, raisins, some cereal) is great before your donation - they will test to see if you have enough iron in your blood. Fatty foods are not - they can mess with blood testing results (info courtesy of Red Cross)

- Keep your schedule for the day in mind. If you have a match to operate at 12, don't run to donate at 11:30 while your team sits in queue...also, recall that if you are driving home that day (especially long distances) you will want to feel recovered when you leave.

- Eat the stuff they give you! Yay cookies :) Yay sweet stuff :) It really does help energize you

- Let somebody on your team know that you will be donating blood that day. Mentor, teammate, groupie...that way if you start to feel woozy for whatever reason somebody will be there to make sure you have a place to sit and may be able to bring you something to eat or drink.

Thanks to the great folks at IRI for organizing this!

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

Thank you for all the donted blood. The Central Indiana regional Blood Center collected 22 pints of blood and alot of these were FIRST time donors. Lets make this a regular part of IRI and give back to our community.:)

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

That is great. I applaud all who took time out of the competition day to donate.

However, to put it in perspective, my son has needed far more than that many transfusions in the last 6 months. The need for donors continues to grow. Don't be like me and put it off until someone in your family starts withdrawing from the bank. Without committed repeat donors, there won't be a bank when your loved one needs it. I've donated 3 times now, and regret wasting years when I could have been donating. They do it right where I work, all I had to do was sign up.

Re: IRI - Pre-Rookie, Scholarships, Blood Drive
 

I have a 19 year old daughter who loves to donate. It is one of her favorite things to do. They were calling in February and I asked her about it. She said she was waiting until Feb 14, they gave a special shirt for Valentine's Day. She wears it all the time and donates every time she can.

The blood mobile at IRI was very special. Many good memories come from that part of it. So many new donors and people who tried. Good stuff, that.