Central Blood Bank to hold blood drive in McKenna Center

Seton Hill University (SHU) will host its second blood drive on Fri., April 9 in the McKenna Center lobby from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first blood drive held on campus this semester occurred during the February snowstorms. The snowy conditions did not stop senior Laura Dunkle from donating blood on Tues., Feb. 16 this year.

By Jessie Krehlik

SHU News Editor

Seton Hill University (SHU) will host its second blood drive on Fri., April 9 in the McKenna Center lobby from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first blood drive held on campus this semester occurred during the February snowstorms. The snowy conditions did not stop senior Laura Dunkle from donating blood on Tues., Feb. 16 this year.

“I donate at every drive they have here,” said Dunkle, who has been donating blood since she was 17 years old. “It’s good for anyone to donate because it’s a simple way to help people.” Now, almost three full months later, SHU will host a second blood drive.

According to Danny Ash, a Central Blood Bank representative, the February blood drive was a success. Students had the opportunity to stop by Cecilian Hall to donate blood for the greater Pittsburgh area’s supply.

“It’s very important for young people to donate blood for two reasons,” said Lisa Cassidy, Media Relations Manager at the Central Blood Bank. “It is a learned behavior. The majority of the donor base is older; not enough young donors are donating to match. As the donor continues to age, younger donors will need to take on that responsibility. We find that younger donors who have parents who donate are more likely to be donors themselves,” she said.

“It’s something kids our age can do to make a difference and save lives,” said Christina McCloskey, a junior who worked at the blood drive by serving beverages to donors.

According to Ash, the bad weather in early February was detrimental to the Central Blood Bank’s donation rate because many of the donation locations are high schools, which had several snow days in February.

The Central Blood Bank needs to collect 200,000 units of blood per year in order to accommodate local demand.

“We are currently collecting 160,000 units annually, which means we have to import the units we do not collect from other independent blood centers,” said Cassidy, who has been with the company for four years. “While it is a safety net to have the option, we cannot rely on other blood centers to meet our local demand. They may not always be able to help,” Cassidy added.

Martell Fontaine, a freshman and first-time blood donor decided to donate “so others may live.”

Freshman Hannah Gravante, a second-time donor, agreed with Fontaine’s reasoning and hoped her blood will save lives.

Ali Thompson, a senior, shared a similar view. “I feel like young people don’t realize how much they take advantage of our country’s ability to supply blood. People in Haiti are dying every day. A simple blood transfusion could save their lives,” said Thompson.

Aside from donating one unit of whole blood, select donors can also donate double red, which removes two units of blood from the body, cycles out the platelets and plasma from the red blood cells and then returns the plasma to the body. Sophomore Carlos Peredo, who donated blood in the past, donated double red for the first time in February.
“I thought I would feel sick, but because they put the plasma back in, I actually feel better than before I donated,” said Peredo.

The Central Blood Bank introduced a new incentive program to prospective donors as well, called the Brighten Life Donor Loyalty program. After registering their donor card online at the Brigten Life Online Store, donors can use their points to purchase gift cards for iTunes, Permanti Bros., Olive Garden and Wal-mart, in addition to other retailers and restaurants. Donors accumulate points by donating their blood frequently.
“We encourage donors to donate blood quarterly,” said Cassidy, which translates to donating about every eight weeks.

Aside from SHU, the Central Blood Bank also works with all universities and colleges in the Pittsburgh region, spanning as far north as Edinboro University.

Although prospective donors have the option of donating either to the American Red Cross or to the Central Blood Bank, the two are not affiliated with each other. The Central Blood Bank is a regional blood center for Pittsburgh meaning that the American Red Cross does not provide any blood units to the hospitals in Pittsburgh.

Not interested or able to donate blood, but still want to make a difference? Volunteers can either work at a blood drive in their area, or work in one of the Central Blood Bank offices. “We always need help in the canteen, recruiting donors, and also within our office,” Cassidy said. “If you are a blood donor, it’s important to talk about your positive experience. Too often the reason many people do not donate is because of the fear of the unknown. If more people knew how easy it is to be a blood donor and how many lives one donation can potentially save three, I think it would be beneficial.”

Students can stop by McKenna center tomorrow to donate blood or email Nurse Jan to schedule an appointment to help save a life.