The Story

Great Student Turnout at Campus Blood Drives

Sep. 19, 2008 | By Daniel Mosier, DSJ Staff Reporter

The Alan Bukzin Memorial Bone Marrow Drive is one of the College's largest drives. Courtesy of Bone Marrow Drive.

The students at William and Mary continued their tradition of community service on Tuesday, September 16th with the American Red Cross’s �"Red Hot Summer” blood drive. The William and Mary Red Cross Unit, the CAA Challenge, and the Zeta Phi Beta sorority were the main sponsors of the drive. Students quickly filled up all available time slots to make an appointment to donate their blood.

Shannon Revels, Account Manager of the American Red Cross Mid-Atlantic Blood Region, commented on the constant support she has seen over the years from the William and Mary student body.

�"Every blood drive we have a goal to get 160-200 pints of blood,” said Revels, �"and every time we go to William and Mary we always manage to hit that goal.”

Helping out with the Red Cross Blood Drives has been a long-standing tradition at the college. The Colonial Virginia Red Cross Chapter, in existence since 1917, has always looked towards William and Mary students as a valuable and willing source for blood donations.

Team Supervisor Ruth Chandler spoke about the experience she has had working with the Red Cross at William and Mary.

�"I have been working for the Red Cross for four years and this is my third time at William and Mary,” said Chandler. �"Every blood drive we have a great turn out. These students know the blood drives are for a good cause, that they save lives, and that they are providing a very valuable and important resource that cannot be reproduced.”

Although this most recent blood drive entered students who donated in a raffle for a brand new Red Pontiac Solstice, most of the donors had other reasons for giving up their time and blood.

�"I give blood on a regular basis,” said student Steve Hurley (’12). �"I initially had family pressure to go out and give blood, but it soon became a habit for me. The blood drives on campus are perfect and convenient and I will go often.”

If you did not have the opportunity to give blood at this most recent blood drive, there will be three more on campus Red Cross blood drives in the 2008-2009 school year. The next blood drive, scheduled for November 11th, will take place from 2-8pm at Trinkle Hall in the Student Center (same time and location as the previous blood drive).

To get more information on upcoming blood drives and on possibilities for volunteer work, contact the Colonial Virginia Red Cross chapter at jsmith@cvc-redcross.org.