Stephanie Luciani ’10 courageously entered the Oak Room last week ready to save lives by donating her blood. As certified American Red Cross nurses took a pint of her blood, she realized she could save three lives in only five minutes.
“I give so little to give so much,” said Luciani after giving blood.
The University’s Red Cross Club held a blood drive over a span of two days, starting Monday, Oct. 15 and finishing on Tuesday, Oct. 16. It was held in the Oak Room in conjunction with the American Red Cross.
According to Erin Shea ’10, president of the Red Cross Club, the club set a goal of 100 pints per day, compared to last year’s goal of 75 pints per day.
Shea discovered later that this goal was the same as that set by the nearby University of Connecticut, which has a much larger student population
Fairfield surpassed its original goal, receiving 115 pints on Monday and 115 pints on Tuesday. According to Shea, 250 students, mostly girls, signed up prior to the actual drive.
The motivation of many students to donate blood stemmed from the impact a pint of blood can have on the world.
“I like that it helps people, and the fact that it only took me about five minutes to actually give blood. I helped to save three lives,” Luciani said.
“Someone’s going to get use from my blood. It’s almost as if I’m giving someone a piece of myself,” she added. “Donating blood gives you that feel-good feeling because you know there is a direct effect.”
Shea said that donors must be at least 110 pounds and 17 years old. Other restrictions include donors with tattoos, who can donate blood as long as the tattoo was administered at a licensed parlor, and donors who take medications.
The club has already decided that it will be holding another drive in the spring.
Club members also expect that the spring drive will attract an even bigger turnout than this semester’s and that the students who did not participate in the fall will be inspired by those who donated.
The blood drives are the main focus of the Red Cross Club, though the members are hoping to hold a dance or even a dance competition this year as well.
Shea encouraged students to take a more active role in the Red Cross Club, noting that it is a “great way to get volunteer hours.”
She said that a larger membership will allow for the club to do more in the future.
“We had a great turnout,” Shea said. “At times it was so busy that people had to get turned away because of the long wait.”
“I was very happy that we exceeded our goal, and I hope that next semester’s blood drive is even more successful,” she added.
Visit the American Red Cross Web Site to find out more about what they do and how you can help
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