Student-sponsored drive collects 61 units of blood
VCU’s community last week may have saved 183 people’s lives after its Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee worked with Virginia Blood Services to sponsor the third Colonial Athletic Association Blood Challenge.
Each unit of donated blood can save three lives, and 61 people each gave one good unit.
VCU’s community last week may have saved 183 people’s lives after its Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee worked with Virginia Blood Services to sponsor the third Colonial Athletic Association Blood Challenge.
Each unit of donated blood can save three lives, and 61 people each gave one good unit.
“We have four blood drives a year with Virginia Blood Services,” said Elizabeth Meade, Alpha Phi Omega’s blood chair.
Still, Adrienne Jones, a team manager with the blood services, said not every person who registers can donate blood because people who recently were ill or received a tattoo within the past year become ineligible to give blood.
“Yesterday, we registered 83 people, and we got 61 good units,” Jones said.
Leigh Gregory, a fraternity volunteer, for instance, learned she was one of the 22 people who registered but could not donate blood.
“I cannot give blood because I just got a tattoo,” she said.
Students, faculty and staff members along with non-VCU personnel exchanged a pint of their blood for tickets to an upcoming VCU men’s basketball game vs. LaSalle University.
During the blood challenge, VBS conducts blood drives at several different universities with teams competing in the CAA to determine which school can donate the most blood.
“If you win, you get special recognition at a home basketball game,” Meade said, which means VCU has a chance to be honored by the CAA.
Heather Miller, a junior psychology major, recommended that people give blood if they can.
“I know a lot of people are in need of it,” she said, “and I’m able to give it, so there’s no reason not to.”
After the blood services collects and processes the blood, it’s used to help patients in local hospitals, including those at VCU’s Medical Center and elsewhere in the Richmond metropolitan area.
“We are based in Virginia so it goes to local hospitals in the Virginia area,” Jones said, explaining the distribution system as designated by the blood services.
