Poly hosted its fall blood drive on Thursday, December 5, in the big gym.
Poly’s ultimate goal was to donate 300 pints of blood. According to American Red Cross statistics, one pint of blood is the equivalent of saving three lives. Even though 38% of the US is qualified to donate blood, only about 10% actually does. With the collective Jackrabbit support, Poly was able to donate a total of 255 pints of blood. That much blood has the potential to save approximately 765 lives.
“When you give blood, it makes you think about the lives you save. Some people don’t have a healthy immune system and when a healthy person donates blood, the donator can save lives,” said ASB officer Davis Ho.
The blood drive was conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but the on-site procedures were operated by certified medical volunteers. Poly alumna, Cheryl Berlow, was the main coordinator of the event and helped to set up the blood drive with Poly’s Commissioner of Welfare Jonathan Coleman, who took care of things on campus.
“Donating blood saves lives. My job is to take vital signs and draw the blood. The technical term for that is venipuncture. We also record patient histories in case there is a problem later that we would need to address,” said Melissa Curran, a registered nurse at PHI Health who volunteered during the event.
Only seven percent of the US population has Blood type O negative which can be transfused into a recipient with any blood type. Because of this, O negative blood is always in high demand, but in short supply. The plasma from type AB-positive blood can also be transfused into any recipient blood type (except O negative), but is also in high demand and short supply because only three percent of the US population is AB-positive.
“I think it was important to hold the blood drive because you never know when someone you love or even you yourself will need blood,” said Coleman. “The blood drive went very smoothly, and I would like to say thank you to everyone who donated.”
In addition to helping Poly towards its goal and saving hundreds of lives, donors were offered small rewards for donating blood. These little perks included the choice of a T-shirt which depicts a mustache or a “Pint for a Pint” coupon that includes a free Baskin Robbins pint of ice cream for donating a pint of blood.
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