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Donate today at the CAA blood drive in Trabant

K.C. Keeler, UD football head coach, gives blood with the aid of phlebotomist Debbie Sullivan.
2:19 p.m., Nov. 19, 2003--A steady stream of students, faculty and staff have been stopping by the Multipurpose Room of the Trabant University Center to give blood and help UD compete to repeat as winner of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) “Have a Heart” Blood Challenge.

“We are really excited,” Emily Fowlie, Blood Bank of Delaware/Eastern Shore external communications coordinator, said. “As of this morning, we have scheduled 276 donors.”

Last year, 374 donors were processed as UD took top honors in the CAA “Have A Heart” Blood Challenge.

Among the earliest donors this morning was Fightin’ Blue Hens head football coach K.C. Keeler, who took a break from preparing for Saturday’s Atlantic 10 game against Villanova to help UD compete for another important conference championship.

“We’ve done a good job educating people about why we need to get out here and donate blood,” Keeler said. “I think it’s especially important after Sept. 11.”

Keeler said that he also sat down with his two children and discussed what he was doing and why it is so important to take the time to be a blood donor.

“You don’t always see where the blood that you gives goes,” Keeler said. “You do know that the blood is needed. You just have to do it.”

For Alison VanBuskirk, a freshman English major, donating blood was something she has wanted to do for some time.

Phlebotomist Kathy Murphy draws blood from Edgar Johnson, director of intercollegiate athletics.
“I never had the chance to do it in high school, but I have thought about it for a long time,” VanBuskirk said. “It is really good to see all these people here.”

Signe Clayton, ’95BS, ’97MA, a communication and special project coordinator in the Center for Community Research and Service, said participating in the “Have a Heart” Blood Challenge is important because there is always a critical need for blood donations.

“Coming here this morning helped me to fulfill my obligations as a blood bank member and also is a good way to support UD,” Clayton said. “I think it’s great in that it brings all the students together. It is wonderful to see all the enthusiasm.”

Michael J. Ginzberg, dean of UD’s Alfred J. Lerner College of Business and Economics, said that it was his turn in the family to donate blood.

“I typically donate blood each year,” Ginzberg said. “I think it’s a great idea, and we need to encourage people do to this.”

Ginzberg, who first donated blood while an undergraduate at MIT, said that the benefits far outweigh apprehensions people may have about giving blood.

“It’s not painful, and it doesn’t take long,” Ginzberg said. “It also is a valuable service.”

Mary Ann Hitchens, senior associate director of intercollegiate athletics, gives blood under the supervision of donor assistant Kelly Suloff.
Mary Ann Lazorick, a phlebotomist from the Blood Bank of Delaware/Eastern Shore team that usually works with 150-200 donors daily, said that people who have never donated should consider helping out in a worthy cause.

“We recommend that people should come out and give it a try,” Lazorick said.

Helping out in the canteen, where donors refresh and replenish their blood supply with cookies, snacks, juices and bottled water, were members of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority. Other sponsors for the blood drive include the Resident Student Association and HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Latino Americans).

“We were supporting the blood drive, and I wanted to help out,” Kappa Alpha Theta member Kim Sharrah, a sophomore communication major, said. “I think it is great that so many people are showing up to give blood.”

Kappa Alpha Theta member Rebecca Lilling, a senor English major, said she was happy to participate in her second CAA “Have a Heart” Blood Challenge.

“It’s great doing a good thing like this for our organization and the University,” Lilling said. “I hope that the drive is as successful as it was last year.”

For those who have not pre-registered and would like to help put UD over the top in the CAA “Have a Heart” Blood Challenge, Fowlie said that walk-in donors are welcome to come to the Trabant University Center.

Potential donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good general health and have had no tattoos or body piercings in the past 12 months. Donors also should remember to eat a good meal within three hours of donating.

Matt Lenno, assistant director of student centers, gives blood with the help of phlebotomist Debbie Sullivan.
“We will be here till 7 p.m.,” Fowlie said. “It’s a good idea to come out, because it’s a fun atmosphere and donors also get a free T-shirt.”

Most important, Fowlie said, is that the blood donated during today’s “Have a Heart” Blood Challenge helps to meet the heavier demands during the coming holiday season.

“We are storing up blood for the Thanksgiving holiday, and there is always a blood shortage during this time of the year,” Fowlie said. “Coming out and giving blood is a good way to kick of the holidays.”

Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson

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