The Communication Studies Club will be hosting the annual fall Red Cross Blood drive in Alumni Hall on Nov. 3 and 4, 2011 from noon until 6:00 p.m. on both days. The event is open to Gustavus students, faculty, staff and the greater St. Peter and Mankato community.
The blood drive has been the Communication Studies Club’s major focus in recent years, as their biannual philanthropy project. The club has received the Paul Magnuson Student Leadership and Service Award on multiple occasions for their work with the blood drive.
Following the success of last year’s blood drives, the Communication Studies Club is looking to increase the number of donations from last year’s total.
“We are really hoping to increase participation this year. Blood is always extremely in-demand and giving blood saves lives. This is something that affects a lot of people. Almost everyone knows someone who has needed blood at some point in time,” Senior Communication Studies Major and President of the Communication Studies Club Steven Manley said.
A blood transfusion is needed every two seconds in the U.S., and though about 38 percent of the nation is eligible to give blood, only about eight percent choose to do so. One pint of blood (a single donation) can save up to three lives.
“We are really hoping to beat the national average with higher numbers of the Gustavus community participating,” Manley said. “This is a great way to participate in a wonderful cause and make a difference.”
Students can pre-register to donate blood with the club either by signing up while volunteers are tabling or by going online. Volunteers from the communication studies department will be tabling outside of the Marketplace on Oct. 26, 27, 28, 31 or on Nov. 1.
The link for signing up online is available on the Gustavus Calendar’s post for the blood drive. Walk-ins are always welcome, but appointments are preferred.
“I think there are two reasons why Gusties should volunteer to give blood. The first reason is that such a little effort can make a huge impact in saving a person’s life. The second is because it shows others that we are a student body who want to make a difference in helping other people not just in this school but in the surrounding community as well,” Junior Political Science and Communication Studies Major Kate Redden, secretary of the Communication Studies Club, said.
“If you are concerned about your eligibility to give blood or need more information, you can either visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-3767 or ask the volunteers tabling for more information,” Manley said.
Past blood drives at Gustavus have turned out over 200 donors, making the event one of the larger drives for the Red Cross in southern Minnesota.
“The Red Cross is now realizing how serious Gustavus is about the blood drive and our capability of sending a large number of donors so this year they will be sending more staff members and more donor beds,” Manley said.
Blood donors will be provided with food and refreshments following their donation.
“There will be a variety of foods and drinks provided for people to munch on after giving blood. We want to make sure that everyone recovers just fine and then best way to do that is by getting something healthy in your system,” Redden said. “And do not forget to get a good night of sleep the day before and to eat healthy things the day of.”
The Communication Studies Club works hard every year to bring the blood drive to Gustavus. The event is organized entirely by the club, which consists of about ten members, and is run by volunteers from the communication studies department.
“We just hope that all of our hard work pays off in the end. We all hope to see a lot of excited Gusties coming together and saving lives,” Redden said.
To be a part of this event, stop by the tables outside of the Cafeteria on either Oct. 26, 27, 28, 31 or Nov. 1, 2011 and sign up for a donation time or sign up online at anytime. Walk-ins will be accepted when possible on the days of the drive.