Red Cross low on blood, students organize drive

The Red Cross needs blood, and students are looking to help.

The Student Athlete Advisory Committee is hosting a blood drive from noon to 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 in the Great Hall in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center.

Students can walk in or make an appointment online at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive. They must bring their student ID to the event.

With the extreme below freezing temperatures in the Midwest and flu season upon the country, Red Cross officials said blood donation is crucial. The blood shortage usually comes after the holiday season, according to their website.

SAAC was not originally planning to do a blood drive this year, said Dominique Kopecky, cellular and molecular biology senior and member of SAAC.

“I said, no, we need to do that, because it’s a great opportunity to reach out to the community, because blood is low. I was really pushing to do it,” she said.

Kopecky said hospitals are always running low on certain types of blood, so donating can make a big difference in a life or death situation.

“You might think, ‘oh I barely gave anything,’ but it actually could be a lot for someone else,” she said.

The blood drives on campus usually have high attendance, Kopecky said.

“Our average number of people giving blood at each of the blood drives is usually 55 to 60 people, which is actually a good amount of people.”

Kelly Perry, associate athletic director for compliance and academics, said she has been donating blood for twenty years and gave tips for donating:

• Drink plenty of liquids, especially water.
• Don’t donate on an empty stomach.
• If students are nervous or a first-time donor, bring a friend and tell the person who is working with you.

“They can definitely put your mind at ease,” she said.

According to redcrossblood.org, donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health and feeling well and not have donated blood in the last 56 days.

“One thing that is important to know is that just because you have recently had a piercing or tattoo does not mean you can’t donate,” Perry said. “This is a myth, so don’t let that be the reason you don’t donate,” she said.

Perry encouraged students to participate in the blood drive.

“Remember that giving blood saves many lives, and since I have personally experienced this, having that as a motivation always making donating worth it,” she said.