The American Red Cross and Elon’s Kernodle Center for Civic Life hosted the January Blood Drive on Wednesday, Jan. 20, to collect blood donations in a time when the Red Cross desperately needs them.
Elon students, faculty and staff pitched in with the American Red Cross to help meet a growing need for blood donations across the country.
Elon’s Kernodle Center for Civic Life and the American Red Cross partnered to host the January Blood Drive at the university’s Phoenix Activities and Recreation Center on Wednesday. The nearly six-hour blood drive, which was carried out while following a number of COVID-19 safety protocols, welcomed dozens of donors willing to help people in need of blood.
The January Blood Drive was especially meaningful because the Red Cross finds itself in great need of donations as the organization has suffered from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. With thousands of blood drives across the country canceled for safety purposes, the Red Cross has missed out on the chance to collect thousands upon thousands of units of blood. Hosting Wednesday’s blood drive at Elon allowed the Red Cross to safely continue its collection efforts.
“We are so grateful to be here; Elon has always been a great host,” said Linda Benning, collections supervisor with the Red Cross. “Especially in times of COVID-19, the need for blood is still there. So when we have people coming out and are so understanding and willing to wait a few extra minutes to come in and help us out, we appreciate it so much.”
Benning was excited by the turnout on Wednesday as donors came from across the Elon campus and Alamance County to give blood during the drive. She was also grateful to a number of Elon volunteers who worked with Red Cross staff to make the event possible.
One of those volunteers was Shannon Tennant, coordinator of library collections and associate librarian, who has been passionate about giving blood since she learned about the importance of donating as a college student. As she volunteered on Wednesday, checking in donors at the event, Tennant was glad to see people so willing to help during such a difficult time.
“This is amazing to see,” Tennant said. “We have our gaze so fixed on COVID that we tend to forget that people are dealing with other medical needs, so it’s important to remember to keep giving blood and keep helping people out.”
Biomedical engineering major Vivian Krause ’24 also spent the day volunteering at the PARC. Krause is a service ambassador in the Kernodle Center and was helping out at her second Red Cross blood drive. These events have allowed the first-year student to tap into her passion for service and make a real impact in the community.
“It think this opportunity is really special,” Krause said. “It’s just awesome to see people still coming out and giving blood.”
The January Blood Drive was a continuation of the partnership between Elon and the American Red Cross, who have hosted numerous blood drives on campus in past years. Organizers were happy to have another opportunity to bring the community together for a good cause.
“This event wouldn’t be successful without the hard-working folks at the American Red Cross, our volunteers and donors,” said Shawn Thompson, Kernodle Center graduate apprentice. “I’m extremely excited for this event because community members have donated their time, effort and own blood for the cause that will make a significant impact.”
The American Red Cross and the Kernodle Center have already planned the next campus blood drive. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Phoenix Activities and Recreation Center in Danieley Neighborhood. Members of the Elon community interested in signing up for appointments can do so here.