Donate Blood Together
Book slots as a group, get through the nerves together, then go and eat something enormous afterwards. Genuinely a good date idea.
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- 60 min plus travel
- People
- Solo / Duo, Small Group (3-6), Large Group (7+)
- Where
- Community Org
- Bring
- ID, and to check you're eligible beforehand
Why this matters
Blood can't be manufactured - every unit used in surgery, childbirth and trauma care comes from someone who turned up. Supply runs short constantly, particularly for less common types. It costs you an hour and nothing else, and the main reason people don't do it isn't unwillingness, it's that they never quite get round to booking.
How to do it
Research your local blood donation point and available slots. You may need to book weeks ahead to find a time that fits the whole group, so start there rather than picking a date first.
If you can book a group slot, do. If not, book consecutive slots so you're all there together.
Go in with an open mind: one or more of you may be turned away on the day due to medication, recent travel, a recent tattoo, low iron, or any number of other reasons. That happens constantly and isn't a failure. If it's you, hang around, support the others, and you'll have all the information you need for next time. Turning up to support your friends counts.
Before you go: eat properly, drink plenty of water, and bring ID.
Afterwards, take it easy and eat something with real energy in it. So go and get burgers, pizza, milkshakes - whatever - and hang around for a bit rather than heading straight off. Watch a film, sit in a park, let everyone recover.
It's also a genuinely good date idea. Just maybe not for a first date.