With the help of SSRI, PSIEE, MRI, ICS, and Huck, the two-day blood drive event sponsored by the Penn State Office of the Vice President of Research and the institutes collected 63 units of blood, exceeding its goal of 60 units.
At the Millennium Science Complex on June 9, the blood drive collected 34 units from 33 presenting donors. One of those donors was Vice President of Research Neil Sharkey. At the HUB on June 13, we collected 29 units of blood from 35 presenting donors.
The combined total goal for both blood drives was 60 units, and the blood drives exceeded that goal by 3 units. If one unit can save three people, then those extra three units has the potential to save nine more people who need blood. Thanks to OVPR, the institutes and all the donors, the 63 units collected could save over 150 patients over the next several days and weeks.
This weekend’s tragic events remind us why it’s so important to have an adequate blood supply on hospitals’ shelves at all times, not just following a crisis. The need is constant, but the gratification a donor feels is instant knowing that he or she made a life-saving impact on someone who needed blood.
Whole blood donors can donate every 56 days, while power red donors (formerly known as double reds) can donate every 112 days.
For more information about donating, including how to prepare for your donation, eligibility information, and to make an appointment, go to redcrossblood.org. Donars are still needed at all upcoming drives this summer. To find blood drives on Penn State’s campus, use sponsor code “PSU” in the search bar.