Vol. 18, No. 11Nov. 12, 1998

Blood drives draw on long association with UD

Freshman Candice Heidinger donates blood during a campus drive earlier this year.

More than 9,400 lives-that's how many have been saved by blood donors at the University of Delaware over the past 21 years. Since 1978, 9,459 students and staff have donated blood at the campus drives sponsored by Blood Bank of Delaware/Eastern Shore.

"The support provided by donors at the University of Delaware through the years has helped us provide local hospitals with the blood and blood products they need for their patients," David Bonk, director of marketing and membership at the Blood Bank, said "We visit the University for eight months every year because we depend on students, faculty and staff to help us meet the blood demands of hospitals and renal care centers in Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland."

Pamela Belmont, a senior visual communications major from Hockessin, was one of those students who literally rolled up a sleeve to help out.

"You get such a sense of accomplishment from giving blood, and it's an easy thing to do," she said. "We live in a world where people don't have a lot of time, and donating blood is something that doesn't take very long and it's such an important thing to do."

Blood Bank staff recognizes that donors like Belmont are essential to the success of each blood drive, but students who sponsor the blood drives also play a significant role.

"We could not host the blood drives without the efforts of student organizations who recruit donors for each drive," Bonk said. "The role they play in informing students about the drives-whether it's posting fliers around campus or talking about a blood drive at the lunch table, really has an impact on how successful a blood drive can be."

Colin Dunn, of Theta Xi fraternity, cosponsored the October blood drive along with Gamma Sigma Sigma, the national service sorority.

"We believe in helping other people," Dunn, a sophomore child psychology major from Wilmington, said. "We need to help people in their time of need. It all comes back to you eventually."

Bonk noted that Alpha Phi Omega and the Resident Student Association have hosted the most blood drives in UD's history. "These two groups have sent an admirable example of how enthusiastic student sponsors can be, and how that can really make a difference in making or breaking a blood drive," he said.

But, he added, the blood drives would not be possible at all without the ongoing support of President David Roselle and past president E. A. Trabant. "Their cooperation has been extremely valuable to the success of the blood drives each year," Bonk said.

This year, the Blood Bank is particularly seeking the help of the UD community.

"In the past 10 years, the number of donors at the University has dropped from about 1,000 donors annually to about 300," Bonk said. "If we can't recruit more students and staff to donate, it will be more difficult to maintain the supply of blood we need to deliver to hospitals."

Blood Bank of Delaware/Eastern Shore is a nonprofit organization that provides blood for the 18 hospitals and five renal care centers throughout the region. More than 100,000 blood products are needed by patients at those facilities each year.

For information about joining the Blood Bank's membership plan or donating blood, call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8.

Any student group interested in hosting a blood drive should call Darby Latshaw, Blood Bank school program coordinator, at 737-8405, extension 796.

Photo by Robert Cohen

Campus blood drive set next week

Members of the University community can donate blood next week on campus from noon-5 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 17-18, in Multipurpose Rooms A and B of the Trabant University Center. Students or staff who are Blood Bank members and donate at the University drives will receive membership credit.

To donate blood, individuals must be 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health. For additional information, call 737-8400.