The American Red Cross collected donations from 77 people who visited McKinnon Hall on Wednesday for a Winter Term blood drive.
By Erin Turner ’15
Dozens of Elon University students, faculty and staff each donated a pint of blood on Jan. 15, 2013, in a semi-annual collection drive hosted by the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement and the Central North Carolina Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Eighty-nine people attempted to donate throughout the day Wednesday with all but 12 of them successful in their efforts, organizers said. Any number of factors influence the ability to donate at a given moment, including the recent use of certain medications or the level of iron in a prospective donor’s blood.
Thirty of those people gave blood for the first time in their lives during the drive, said Elon senior Kacy Nichols, the Kernodle Center’s student coordinator for blood drives.
The Central North Carolina Chapter in Durham, N.C., is part of the Triangle Region of the American Red Cross, which serves a population of more that 2.75 million people across 20 counties. The region provides more that 80,000 units of blood to hospitals each year, which, because of the way donations are separated, can eventually help nearly a quarter of a million people.
“There is a huge need for blood in the community, and over the years Elon has done a great job at donating blood,” said American Red Cross volunteer Ed O’Reily. “Many of us that work with the American Red Cross has had a need for blood or has known someone that has needed it in the past, as a result we are extremely appreciative of all donors and volunteers who come out to help.”
The Kernodle Center offers students the opportunity to donate blood throughout the year during the fall, winter, and spring semesters. Students are encouraged to come out to lend a helping by donating blood or by volunteering their time.
“I’m not a fan of needles, but I really wanted to help out at the drive today in some way, so I decided to come out to help with donor registration,” said Elon University senior Christie Dierk.
The next blood drive is scheduled for April. To sign up to donate, visit in the coming weeks www.redcrossblood.org/carolinas, click on “Make a blood donation appointment” in the top right corner, and enter “Elon” as the sponsor code. Anyone with questions or an interest in volunteering should email email blooddrive@elon.edu for more information.