The Concordian

Despite the wintery weather forcing all day classes two hours back for inclement weather schedule, Concord University still participated in their semi-annual blood drive on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 in the Ballroom on the third floor of the Student Center. 

Throughout the six-hour period that the event took place, beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m., student after student lined up at the double doors of the Ballroom to donate their blood to the cause. 

As in years past, the blood drive has been sponsored by the American Red Cross, which is a non-profit organization that is responsible for hosting numerous blood drives and responsible for providing that blood to different patients that are in need throughout the year. 

The blood drive was hosted and sponsored by the members of the sorority; Nu Zeta Chi. Nu Zeta Chi organized the entire event through cooperation with the American Red Cross team and other students from the university. 

Different members of the organization assisted in the program by volunteering throughout the day of the event as well as some promoting the event several weeks before the actual date of the event. 

Members of the national fraternity, Sigma Tau Gamma also helped with the event by volunteering to bring in some of the equipment needed, while some of the members also assisted with the event during the day.  All students, faculty, and staff that donated blood were provided free refreshments and the peace of mind knowing that they had saved a life. 

While the American Red Cross never seems to have enough donated blood to provide for all of the patients that are in dire need of it, there has been an enormous increase of needed blood due to the tragedies that have affected the people of Haiti.

 According to the national website for the American Red Cross, only 38 percent of all people are actually eligible to donate blood, but out of that small number only eight percent of those people actually choose to donate blood. 

Although there is always a need for blood regardless of what type, currently, there is an immense necessity for both type B negative and type O negative blood. 

Almost everyone knows that choosing to give blood at a blood drive can save a life, but not everyone is exactly aware of what kind of a stand that they are actually taking at these events. 

It only takes one pint of blood to save up to a total of three lives.  Hospitals across the country use the blood to help people that have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses, have been in hazardous accidents, and have been in a variety of other situations. 

Once the blood has been processed by the blood drive after donation, it takes the hospital only one week to receive the blood, so by fifteen minutes at a blood drive a person can save three lives in the next week. 

If anyone is interested in donating blood because they could not make it to the Concord University blood drive due to weather or other reasons, several other blood drives will be available in the area soon. 

Montcalm High School will be hosting a blood drive on February 25, 2010 at 9 a.m. at 710 Simmons River Road Montcalm, WV 24737. 

Mountain State University will be hosting another blood drive on the first of March between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 512 S. Kanawha St. Beckley, WV 25801.

Youth Center of Bluefield will be hosting a blood drive on March 4 between noon and 6 p.m. at 1780 Stadium Dr. Bluefield, WV 24701. 

Thanks to the support of both Nu Zeta Chi and Sigma Tau Gamma, Concord University’s semiannual blood drive was a success despite the complications with weather.

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