Blood drive goal set at 3,600 units

Students, staff and community members wound their way through the maze of stations set up in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse Tuesday and Wednesday in order to donate blood to the American Red Cross. The blood drive, which was part of the upcoming Greek Wee

By Jewels Phraner

Published April 14, 2006

Students, staff and community members wound their way through the maze of stations set up in the Hearnes Center on Tuesday and Wednesday to donate blood to the American Red Cross. The blood drive, part of Greek Week, had the theme "What's Your Reason?"

The biannual blood drives that occur during Greek Week and Homecoming Week are each some of the largest in the world, said Crystal Brandy, a collections technician who volunteered for the drive. MU previously has held the world record for most blood donated at a single site in a single day.

"The turnout was better than last year's," said Mikael Olson, a Greek Week steering committee member.

A total of 3,263 units of blood were donated during this week's drive. Olson said the steering committee expects to collect more units of blood on deferral day, April 18. The units collected on Deferral Day will count toward the steering committee's goal of 3,600 units of blood collected.

Once the donors checked in, they were asked to write their reason for donating on a red strip of paper intended to make paper chains that the steering committee will take to a local hospital and display in the children's units.

The steering committee picked the theme "What's your reason?" to make donors think about why they donate blood, Olson said.

"It puts the blood drive at a more personal level so everyone can feel they are helping someone close to them," he said.

Olson said his reason for donating blood this year was for his "grandmother who has had some medical issues lately."

Senior Kory Drury said he donated for the first time because somebody asked him to.

"I had never done it before, but it has been something I have always wanted to do," he said.

Brandy said she used to work at a hospital where she frequently saw the patients who needed blood.

"I saw why the Red Cross does this," she said.

Sophomore Amy Becker said she donated blood to earn points for her sorority in the Greek Week competition.

Many students said they gave for the same reason that senior Tyler Morris said he donated for.

"I give for the cause," he said. "To save lives."