Faculty and students gave back to the community this month in the annual Red Cross sponsored blood drive, donating 58 units of blood.
90 people over the age of 16 signed up to donate, but not all were able to do so. Several factors, such as an appropriate BMI and iron levels, were requirements for donation. There were a variety of reasons why people donated blood.
“If I get into an accident some day I want people to help me,” senior Bryan Celles said.
Red Cross External Communications Manager Regina Boothe Bratton said she was glad Marshall contributed.
“You never know if your family member, friend or fellow student may need to receive lifesaving blood products,” Boothe Bratton said. “That’s why it is so important to have a constant and readily available blood supply.”
Red Cross organizers began turning away donors after 12:30pm because of the unexpectedly high turnout. Students said they were disappointed at the early closing.
“It became more crowded as I was there but they began turning people away because there was too many people,” senior Lauren Pelzner said. “It was frustrating not only for me, because I couldn’t donate, but for those who wanted to and were not allowed because of the crowd.”
Contrary to popular belief, the Red Cross does not give away the donated blood to medical facilities, but charges to cover “associated fees,” such as the cost of storage and distibution, Boothe Bratton said. Red Cross recently came under fire for its financial practices, according to multiple reports from national news outlets.
“It makes me feel like they aren’t what they say they are, because why do we have to donate blood if they are selling it?” senior Ameena Whitley said.
But other students were not deterred by the news.
“I’m not immensely surprised,” senior Quinn Lipetz said. “You don’t get any medical treatment for free.”
