Lifeline Blood Services collected 191 good units of blood during the Nov. 15-16 blood drive at UTM.
That number was down from the Sept. 14-15 Blood Battle drive, which saw a collection of 281 units of blood. However, during the most recent drive, 47 greek organization members received community service hours and 162 students entered the FitBit drawing, which was won by John Balitsky, a freshman Nursing major from Dickson.
UTM hosts blood drives each spring and fall semester. Since 2005, UTM students and faculty have donated about 10,148 units of blood. With each unit of blood representing at least one life saved, UTM has helped to save at least 10,148 lives.
When asked why it is important for students to give blood, Cherie Parker, Public Relations Coordinator for Lifeline Blood Services, responded, “Giving blood is one of the easiest ways to impact the life of someone in their community. It does not cost them any thing but a little bit of their time, but the recipient of that blood transfusion by a patient literally means life! There are not many other things you can do to save a life every eight weeks, are there?”
For students who missed the November blood drive, Lifeline has a calendar on its website — www.lifelinebloodserv.org — showing upcoming blood drive times and locations. Lifeline currently has an urgent need for A negative and O negative blood types.
“There is always an increase in the need for blood donors during the holidays because blood donors are busy, and, like the rest of us, their commitment to give blood has to compete with other activities on our already full holiday calendars,” said Parker, “but, since the need for blood goes on and remains constant during this season, blood donations must be given and given consistently. That’s why the cliché is so true, ‘The need for blood Never Takes a Holiday.’ ”
Anyone who wishes to donate must have a photo ID and must complete the online registration on the Lifeline Blood Services website right before donating. The next blood drive at UTM will be held Jan. 26-27, 2017.
