Alpha Phi partnered with the Red Cross to host a blood drive on Jan. 30 in the Hoosier Room.

Alpha Phi has worked with the Red Cross for more than five years to bring blood drives to IU Southeast in order to get students involved with giving back to the community.

Lauren Smith, marketing senior and Alpha Phi vice president, said the sorority decided to host blood drives as part of their cardiac care philanthropy.

Alpha Phi hosts three blood drives a semester, and they said they encourage students to get involved in the donation process.

Donna Applegate, employee with Donor Resources at the Red Cross, said there is always a good turnout of students willing to donate.

“For every drive, we get an average of about 40 to 50 donors,” Applegate said. “That’s pretty awesome because we come about every month, and we have pretty regular donors.”

The process of giving blood lasts about 30 to 45 minutes for the students who participate. It includes reading informational material prior to donating, a questionnaire session and the process of giving blood.

“We always try to provide some sort of incentive,” Applegate said. “Today, we have free T-shirts, sometimes we have free tickets. We try to do whatever we can do to give back to the students.”

Autumn Vila, supervisor for the Red Cross team, said some operations require more than 30 units of blood for a single operation, and, without help from donors, there is no other way to operate.

“This is the only way that we can get the blood,” Vila said. “There is no artificial blood, and there is no substitution for the blood, and our supply is very low.”

According to the Red Cross, only three in every 100 people donate blood, which is why there is a shortage in the supply.
Allison Wyne, accounting sophomore, gave blood in the Hoosier Room for the fourth time.

“If I was ever in a car crash or needed blood for something, I would want someone to [donate] blood for me,” Wyne said. “My blood can help someone else out. I mean, I’m alive right now, I obviously don’t need that much.”

Applegate said she understands a lot of people are scared to give blood, but she said the important thing to focus on is the good they are doing.

“I would never try to shame anyone into giving blood, but, for the people that are afraid to give blood, they should think of the babies and cancer patients who get stuck [with needles] every day,” Applegate said. “Once people see what you are doing and see how it helps others, giving 45 minutes of your day is the best thing you’ve ever done.”

Regulations and requirements for donating blood can be found through the Red Cross website.

By HANNA WOODS

Staff

hrwoods@umail.iu.edu