Want to save three lives?
Northwestern is hosting a blood drive from 10:30 a.m to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Wednesday, Feb. 4 in the Bultman Center lobby. The blood drive is being held through the LifeServe Blood Center of Iowa, located in Des Moines.
According to LifeServe Blood Center’s website, approximately one in seven people entering hospitals in the U.S. are in need of blood.By giving one unit of blood, donors are able to save three lives. This is more than most people do in a lifetime.
During the holiday season and winter months, blood donation levels become critically low. This year blood banks are especially low because of the flu which makes many people who would donate blood ineligible.
When donors and blood banks are not able to come together for blood drives due to snowy weather and harsh conditions, the normal 3,000 units of blood LifeServe needs to serve more than 100 hospitals in a week becomes threatened.
The good news is that the numbers of donations have been increasing lately, but LifeServe is still trying to recover from the lower-than-average months of December and January.
According to LifeServe, they need “neighbors helping neighbors and people who want to make an impact on a local level.”
The Blood Center of Iowa and Siouxland Community Blood Bank merged in 2010 to become LifeServe Blood Center and now serves hospitals across Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Rachel Panzi, Mobile Marketing Specialist for LifeServe Blood Center, said this has had a positive impact on these communities by providing better service and safer blood.
Many college students do not think about the need for blood in their communities as they go through their everyday lives.
“Often people don’t think about giving blood until they need blood themselves or a family member needs blood,” Panzi said.
When donors come to the blood drive, they will go through a simple four-step donation process This includes registration, donor history scanning, donations and snacks. Giving blood has additional benefits for the donor such as receiving a mini-physical that includes checking blood pressure, iron levels, temperature and pulse. The actual donation lasts only five to 10 minutes.
Donors will receive a coupon for a free treat from Hardee’s. All eligible students are encouraged to donate.
