Greek Week blood drive sees decreased donations

The Greek Week philanthropy collected 1,600 units of blood.

By Megan Pearl

Published April 9, 2010

The MU Greek Week 2010 blood drive collected 1,600 units of blood.

"Our goal this year was 2,000 units," Greek Week Director Hannah Vargon said.

Vargon said they lowered their goal this year to account for recent changes in the system.

"There's no point incentive this year," Vargon said. "Now the people donating are doing it for the right reasons, and we don't have a deferment problem this year."

In previous years, the Greek Week blood drive was a competition between chapters for who could register the most donors.

"All the parties involved agreed there should be changes," said Matt Gerke, American Red Cross Mid-Missouri branch spokesman. "We felt the point system was putting more pressure on students to donate than we wanted."

Although the blood drive was smaller this year, it is still beneficial for the American Red Cross, which closes down donation locations in the region to staff the drive. The American Red Cross collects 40 percent of the nation's blood.

"We have staff from Columbia and St. Louis," Gerke said. "The Mizzou (blood drive) is much larger. It has more of an impact than we would have in a day with lots of little blood drives."

Greek Week Director Robbie Penzell said because there was no point system this year, they tried to focus their advertising on the whole MU community rather than just Greek Life students.

"According to the Red Cross, the No. 1 reason people don't donate is because they're never asked," Penzell said. "That's why we put people all over campus. All we can do is ask."

Another policy that could potentially change the blood drive system is the restriction on gay men who have had sexual contact with another man since 1977 from being able to donate blood. The ban on gay men was the U.S. Food and Drug Administration response to the AIDS epidemic in 1983.

"FDA has been actively engaged in re-examination of the MSM deferral issue, taking into account the current body of scientific information, and we are considering the possibility of pursuing alternative strategies that maintain blood safety," FDA Consumer Safety Officer Jill Burkoff said in an e-mail. "The Department of Health and Human Services, Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability, comprised of national experts and HHS officials, will examine this issue at an upcoming meeting in June 2010."

The policy has been a source of controversy and the reason for some schools to cancel blood drives citing the discriminatory nature of the ban.

"The biggest thing that Mizzou is doing, as long as I've been here, has been encouraging allies to go and give blood," Triangle Coalition Vice President Sean Jarvis said. "There is a blood shortage in this country, and there has been for decades."

Jarvis said many people find this to be politically unsatisfying and a softer form of advocacy. But, Jarvis said it's still raising awareness and it's the best thing to do pragmatically.

The FDA does not agree the policy is an issue of discrimination.

"Our donor deferral policy is not discriminatory and is been based on the scientific data that show that certain medical, behavioral and geographical factors are associated with increased risk of transfusion transmitted diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease," Burkoff said. "Our primary responsibility with regard to blood and blood products is to ensure the safety of patients who receive these life-saving products."

The American Red Cross, in conjunction with the American Association of Blood Bank and America's Blood Center, stated the policy is no longer medically and scientifically warranted.