Posts Tagged ‘Red Cross’

A Celebration of Life: Upcoming Blood Drive Seeking Donors and Volunteers

Life is often taken for granted, and individuals sometimes forget just how lucky they are to have the freedom to do essentially what they want and embrace their health and good standing.

With the recent tragedy in Haiti, it is more than imperative to be thankful to be alive and have loved ones surrounding.  It is time to reach out to others and cultivate a celebration of life, and one way to do just that is to be a donor and/or volunteer at Marietta College’s first blood drive of the spring 2010 semester from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Gathering Place.

A group of McDonough Leadership students, with the aid of Director of Civic Engagement – Tanya Judd-Pucella – and Red Cross Donor Marketing Specialist, Brian Adams, coordinated the drive because of the constant need for blood and products to supply hospitals and help the sick and injured.  Because of the aforementioned crisis, that need has multiplied even more, which is why all students and faculty members are highly encouraged to partake in this event.

“Blood drives are crucial to the health and welfare of our community and beyond,” Judd-Pucella says.  “While the blood collected here at MC may not go to Haiti directly, there is always the need to have a good supply on hand in case of disasters.”

The student organizers – freshmen Sarah Snow, Jaide Brown, Marci Estock, and Sam Thomas and sophomores Taylor Vaughn and Jen Emmert – have all worked blood drives numerous times in the past and are incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve and inspire others and make a difference on a local and global level.

It hasn’t always been easy for them, though – Snow is afraid of needles, Brown can’t give because she passes out easily, and Estock and Vaughn had to overcome long-term nervousness.

“The first time I gave blood, I kept thinking about how badly people need this,” Estock admits.  “I can give them the gift of life, which I think is an extremely awesome ability, but also a huge responsibility – their helplessness gave me the confidence to roll up my sleeve and donate.  The rewarding feeling that you get after donating far outweighs the little prick of a needle.”

Vaughn’s power to prevail was more extreme, however, and she’s a Health Science major.  She gave blood for the first time last semester.

“I’m the girl who had to be held down to even get a medical shot,” she explains.  “For 19 years of my life, it never even occurred to me to donate blood because I let my nervousness take over, but nothing is better than overcoming that fear – I walked out a changed woman, and I hope that others can experience that, too!”

While reassuring, students may still feel apprehensive about the process.  Red Cross Specialist Brian Adams says, “People have many misconceptions about donating blood – they think that because they have diabetes, high blood pressure, or low iron, they cannot donate, and that’s not necessarily true.  As long as these conditions are under control, the donors WILL be able to give.  We make sure that people are feeling healthy the day of the donation.”

Ultimately, there are more benefits to giving blood than bad, which can have an impact not just on patients, but to the donors, as well.

“Working with blood drives will teach many valuable life skills like leadership, event coordination, public speaking, sales, networking, multi-tasking, strategic planning…and the list goes on,” claims Adams.

Marietta College students have the opportunity to not only donate blood, but to volunteer as well.  Student planner Sam Thomas assures, “The best kind of volunteer hours are those in which you are unable to witness the results, for you know that you are performing the act out of pure kindness.  Realize that although you may feel a little needle prick, those who need the blood are in much more pain, and to take 15 minutes out of your day to give blood may give someone else a lifetime in return.”

To donate, please sign up online at www.redcrossblood.org and enter the Marietta College Sponsor Code (MariettaC).  Students may also show up the day of the blood drive if interested, but must bring some form of identification to be eligible.  B Negative and O Negative blood types are needed the most for this drive, but all are accepted.  To ensure best results, it is recommended that students drink lots of water leading to the drive and eat a good meal at least thirty minutes before donation time.  However, treats and beverages will be served to all donors and volunteers.

To volunteer, e-mail Marci Estock (mje004).  Leadership students may receive service hours through working shifts and/or giving blood (which would be equivalent to one volunteer hour).

“The individuals working the last blood drive coerced me into giving it a try, and for that I will be forever grateful,” Vaughn reflects.  “It opened my eyes to a whole new way of giving back to the community.”

Remember, it’s donors like you who give those in need of transfusions something to celebrate, and a chance for a brighter future.  Isn’t the pride of doing a good deed worth a meager 15 minutes out of your day?  Give back by giving blood.

This article was written by Jen Emmert, a student taking Media Writing 2 at Marietta College.  Look for more articles from the class to appear on Writing on the Mall in the coming weeks.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, please e-mail patrick_h at writingonthemall dot net.

Blood Drive Today…Give 'Til It Hurts!

If you have time to give blood today, stop by the Gathering Place.  Greek Week is teaming up with the Red Cross to help get more blood to area hospitals.  The blood drive is running through 4:30 PM today, so get there if you can.

I know some people will ask about this, so I’ll answer it now.  They are looking for Double-Red donors.  And the other inevitable question?  All donors will receive flip flops (while supplies last).

Greek Week 2009 Preview

The Best Greek Week EVER (!!) is starting Saturday night, and you need a map to get through all the events that are on tap.

Events start Saturday morning and continue through the following Friday.

Saturday, March 28th

Community Service Day
The Greek community will be helping out across the community Saturday Morning, splitting into ten groups.  Groups will be working at the  Marietta Sidewalk Survey, Humane Society, Ely Chapman, Friends of Lower Muskingum, Alternative High School, Habitat for Humanity, Buckeye Park, Community Gardens, EVE Women’s Shelter, and Kroger Wetlands from 9 AM to Noon.

Up ‘Til Dawn Finale
Fraternity and Sorority members are encouraged to attend the Up ‘Til Dawn Finale event, supporting St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.  I know that there will be a DJ there, and will assume that there will be inflatables and other fun things to do there.  The event is open to the college community, and is $5 for those that did not participate in the Up ‘Til Dawn letter-writing campaign .

Sunday, March 29th

Lipsync
Arguably the biggest event of Greek Week, Lipsync starts at 7 PM in Fenton Court.  A week and a half of stress and practice all comes down to 10-12 minutes on the stage.  The theme this year goes along with decades that VH1 has done “I Love The…” shows for.  Sigma Kappa and Alpha Tau Omega share the 80′s, Lambda Chi Alpha and Chi Omega share the 90′s, and Alpha Xi Delta and Delta Tau Delta share the new millennium.  Each group has selected seven songs from the decade that will be played in some form, and will display at least 5 pop-up factoids throughout their show.

Monday, March 30th

Mascot Challenge
Remember the Greek God/Goddess event from last year?  Well, it’s back.  This time, though, its been revamped.  The six campus greek letter organizations will dress up a candidate like the school’s mascot, the Pioneer, and give him phrases and poses to say and do.  The mascots will then be rated by students heading to dinner, as the event takes place out from of Gilman.

Tuesday, March 31st

Gilman Theme Night
A change from last year (I think), all Greeks will be wearing letters and having dinner at Gilman from 5-7 PM.  Really not much more to this event.

Wednesday, April 1st

Blood Drive
It’s time to hold out your arm and give ’til you stop bleeding.  Greek Council is teaming up with the American Red Cross from 9 AM to 5 PM to hold a blood drive in the Gathering Place.  They will be taking both regular blood donations and double-red donations.  All blood types are needed.

Cash Cab
The idea here is that one member of each class of each fraternity and sorority will be driven around town and be asked random questions, similar to a current TV show by the same name on the Discovery Channel.  Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors will duke it out to see who is the trivia king.  The event takes place from 6-8 PM in the Gathering Place.

Thursday, April 2nd

Greek Olympics
It’s a battle of the bodies and brains at DU Field from 6-8 PM.  Various events encompassing all sorts of attributes will take place, with points awarded based on performance.  All are welcome to view the spectacle and root for your favorite chapter.

Friday, April 3rd

Greek Awards Banquet
The applications have been turned in and the winners have been decided.  Who will walk away  with the various chapter and individual awards this year?  Only time will tell.  The event will start at 6 PM in the McDonough Auditoriuma and should take an hour.

Greek Ball
After a week of competition, it’s only fair to kick off the shoes and go dancing.  Everybody will move over to the Great Room in Andrews Hall and dance the night away (or, more likely, from 7-10 PM).