Blood drive benefits Community Blood Center

The pre-Greek Week drive is the smallest of the year.

By Samantha Sunne

Published Feb. 9, 2010

A Greek Week-sponsored blood drive helped to raise 180 units of blood for the Community Blood Center on Saturday.

Greek Week Director Robbie Penzell said the blood drive was the first, though unofficial, event of Greek Week 2010. It is one of the smallest drives of the year.

CBC Donor Recruiter Bruce Bolzenius said this is the drive's second year in existence, and it is the only one of the Greek community's blood drives that donates to the CBC. Last year, the drive collected 187 units of blood.

The Greek community's other two major drives, Homecoming's in October and Greek Week's in April, donate to the American Red Cross, Penzell said.

"We're going to have a meeting, go over things, talk about what we can do differently to make it a better drive," Bolzenius said. "What we can do next year to make it bigger or better."

The CBC held two blood drives at MU last fall, one through Missouri Students Association Student Affairs committee and one through the residence halls, Bolzenius said.

Although 180 units of blood is considered a large drive by most standards, it is small for MU, Penzell said. Last year, 4,800 units were collected in the Homecoming drive and 3,400 in April.

Penzell said Saturday's drive was one day long, though the Homecoming drive takes place over three days and the April drive over two days.

Saturday's blood drive saw a steady stream of donors since it opened at 9 a.m., Penzell said. In the afternoon there were a lot of walk-ins and donors from the community.

"That definitely increased as the lunch hour came and passed," Penzell said.

This drive was an unofficial event of 2010's Greek Week, which officially runs from April 7 to April 25 and begins with the April blood drive.

Penzell said the hardest part about organizing a blood drive is simply finding people willing to volunteer 30 minutes of their time to donate blood.

"I donate because I'm O-negative, and I know that that's in high demand right now with the crisis in Haiti," sophomore Sarah Redohl said.

Freshman Blake Morgan said he chose to give blood because he didn't have money to donate.

"It's is a good charity, especially if you don't have money and you're a broke college student," Morgan said.

Philanthropy is one of the cornerstones of Greek Life, Penzell said.

"It's always been a part of our philosophy to give back," Greek Week Director Hannah Vargon said. "(Blood drives have) kind of been engraved into us as a way to give back."

Vargon, Penzell and two other Greek Week directors, Sean Burrell and Beth Ford, worked with the CBC to set up this drive. The Greek community's Blood Committee organizes the April drive.

Other Greek Week activities include a three-week sports competition and other, smaller competitions, Penzell said.

Burrell said the week supports 14 different beneficiaries, including local charities and the food bank. There is also one event that supports the Special Olympics.

Penzell said the Greek Week blood drive is expected to draw 3,000 units to 3,500 units of blood.