A blood drive is an operation organised to enable volunteers to donate blood to help patients in need (accidents, operations, illnesses, etc.). It is often organised by organisations such as the Établissement français du sang.

In practical terms, the blood drive takes place in several stages:

First, the donor is welcomed at the blood collection site (municipal hall, hospital, company, university, etc.). They fill in a confidential questionnaire about their health and lifestyle.

They are then interviewed by a health professional. The health professional checks that the donation presents no risk to either the donor or the recipient.

If everything is in order, the donation can begin. The donor is made comfortable and a needle is inserted into a vein in the arm. The procedure generally takes 8 to 10 minutes, during which time around 450 ml of blood is collected.

After the donation, the donor is invited to rest and have a snack (drink, food) to recover and avoid feeling unwell.

The blood collected is then analysed, separated into its various components (red blood cells, plasma, platelets) and stored before being used in hospitals.

A blood drive is based on voluntary action and solidarity: a single donation can help several people.