American Red Cross to sponsor month long campus blood drive

The American Red Cross will introduce a We Challenge U Blood Drive at universities and colleges through Feb. 28.

The drive will be at Marshall University Jan. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Don Morris Room located in room 2W40 of the Memorial Student Center.

This event will guarantee the American Red Cross will have an adequate supply of blood for the winter months.

Marianne Spampinato, the external communications manager at American Red Cross located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, said they need all blood types, but O negative, A negative and B negative are urgently needed.

“Everyday we need donors of all blood types in order to make sure we have efficient supplies to anyone in need,” Spampinato said.

Everyday we need donors of all blood types in order to make sure we have efficient supplies to anyone in need

— Marianne Spampinato, external communications manager, American Red Cross

The We Challenge U program promotes the importance of blood donors and gets the students involved within the community to encourage friends, family and faculty to donate blood to the American Red Cross during these winter months.

January is the National Blood Donor Month that has been recognized since 1970 and it is a difficult time for blood donations due to weather conditions along with the cold and flu season.

According to the American Red Cross statistics, donors from high school and college blood drives account for 20 percent of donations given through the American Red Cross. Blood donors will receive an American Red Cross t-shirt.

All student blood drive coordinators whose blood drives meet their set goal or exceed it, will be entitled to win one of five $100 gift cards.

The winners will be decided by a raffle drawing.

Erika Johnk can be contacted at [email protected].