Homecoming Blood Drive makes bank

The annual event benefits the Illinois-Missouri Blood Service Region.

By Maggie Nestor

Published Oct. 16, 2009

More than 2,500 pints of blood were drawn Wednesday as part of the 3,653-pint goal for the annual Homecoming Blood Drive.

The drive broke the world record for the largest blood drive in 1999, according the to "1999 Guinness Book of World Records."

Because the blood drive now goes for multiple days rather than one, it is no longer eligible to break the record, Steering Committee Director Liz Braun said.

"It's a great way to give back to the community, and if we raise 4,200 units of blood, that will save 10,000 lives," Braun said. "It gives back not only to the local community, but to the entire state as well through multiple satellite drives all over the state of Missouri."

Giving blood is not the only way to be involved with the drive.

Members of Greek Life and other student organizations participated by providing donors with food, T-shirts and other resources.

"I chose to volunteer because I'm anemic and can't give blood," freshman Lesley Mangold said. "And by doing it through my sorority, it's a great opportunity to bond with my sisters and other members of the Greek community."

The blood drive is 14 percent of a team's overall Homecoming score. Ninety percent of the organization must attempt to give blood in order for the team to get points. Five bonus points are awarded to a team that has 75 percent of their members physically donate blood, Braun said.

The process of giving blood can be a scary one, especially for those who have never given before. The American Red Cross requires donors to be at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds. Various other stipulations might cause a donor to be deferred, such as visiting in certain locations or receiving a tattoo within the last year. Those who are deferred because of high heart rate or recent illness can return Tuesday on the designated deferral day.

Red Cross Regional spokesman Matt Gerke said the drive can potentially contribute to Missouri, Illinois and Kansas, but mostly benefits the local community.

"This definitely has the potential to help the whole Midwest because this is the Illinois-Missouri Blood Services Region," Gerke said. "Each of the first two days we exceeded our goal and expect to continue doing so."

Since the event started in 1985, it has collected more than 86,000 units of blood and has been awarded the 2007 Association of Donor Professionals' Organization of the Year Award, according to the American Red Cross news release.

The timing of the blood drive not only benefits Homecoming festivities, but also helps the cause's bigger picture.

"This is one of the biggest blood drives and it's especially important this time of year going into the holidays, because many people are traveling and too busy to give, but it's also a time when a lot of accidents happen," Gerke said.