Eastern's first blood drive of the year took place on Oct. 10 and Oct. 11, generating a total of 164 productive pints. We could not have had such a successful American Red Cross blood drive without the help of the 29 student volunteers who donated 62 hours of their time to do check-ins and provide refreshments at the canteen. The aroma of the made-to-order pancakes, given to our donors, permeates the Student Center on the days we host a drive.
The blood drives take place four times during the academic year. Students, faculty, and staff generously donate the gift of life on a regular basis. Residence Halls become involved with blood donations in a friendly competition called the Dean's Cup. The hall with the highest number of donations, along with other requirements, will be eligible to win this coveted trophy for the year. As a result, Eastern is acquiring a statewide reputation of being bighearted in service to our community. "When I first donated blood, it was my freshman year at Eastern and I was hoping to overcome a lifelong fear of needles," said Shannon Ellis '11. "Looking back now, I do it out of fairness to others; I would want someone to be willing to donate blood if I needed it and I should be doing the same. The process is easy-going, the nurses and staff have always been friendly to me. The pancakes are great!"
Future drives at Eastern are scheduled for:
Dec. 5-6, 2011 - 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. BTR
Feb. 6 - 7, 2012 - 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. BTR
April 17, 2012 - 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. BTR
Appointments can be made online at www.givelife.org sponsor code Eastern, or by contacting Irene Cretella at 860-465-0090, cretellai@easternct.edu.
