Today: Mar 29, 2024

Blood Drive spots filled to help those in need

Sofia RositaniReporter

The Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority has been doing a blood drive for years and Service Coordinator Alyssa Walters said she has done over 20 since she first started at the university.

“I know everybody I have talked to remembers doing blood drives,” said Walters, “so it’s been many years.” Students donated blood at collaborated with the American Red Cross to help those who need of transfusions.

The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization that is involved with assistance for emergencies, going to different areas of the world to help when there is a disaster and educating others about disaster relief and how people can help in the event of a disaster or emergency.

According to Walters, the sorority has partnered with outside organizations in the past.

“Delta Phi Epsilon is a sorority that was founded in 1917 at New York School of Law. We are about justice, sisterhood and love,” said Walters. “Our motto is ‘to be rather than to seem to be,’ and we partner with a couple different organizations for our philanthropies.”

For this event, Walters said all 34 slots were filled. However, they did accept walk-ins during the times that there was no one getting blood drawn, or if someone did not show up to an appointment.

“We have partnered with the Red Cross for many years now, and we are all about giving back to the community, so this is one of the ways that we decided as an organization to give back to the community,” said Walters.

University Assistant in the art department, Beatrice Lopez, is a faculty member who decided to donate her blood.

“I donate quite regularly,” said Walters. “I like helping out in any way I can and it’s just one of those things I can do.”

Walters said she decided since she had the time and availability, she would participate in the event. She said she had been receiving emails and had heard on various news reports that there was an increased need for blood donations.

In high school, Lopez said she had given blood around 10 times.

The process of giving blood involves pricking the finger of individual who would want to give blood in order to determine whether or not they suffer from a potential iron deficiency, then a blood draw, where they get hooked up to a bag and give one pint of blood.

“We usually encourage people to stay a little bit longer so that way they can eat and drink something because you do not want people to pass out,” said Walters.

Lopez said donating blood makes her feel good because although she cannot donate money she feels, in a small way she helped.

“It gives me a good feeling to be able to do something little, even though I don’t really know what happens to [my blood] afterwards,” said Lopez.

Since there is such a high need for blood transfusions in hospitals, Lopez said that more people should donate if they are capable of doing it. “If you can,” said Lopez, “why not?”

Photo Credit: Sofia Rositani

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