Students had the opportunity to get “Pizza for Pints” at the blood drive hosted by Kappa Psi and the Pharmacy Leadership Society.
The total raised from the event Thursday, Nov. 15, was 113 pints of blood, which equates to about 528 lives saved. Participating students received a voucher for a free medium Jet’s pizza.
Ferris pharmacy sophomore Amber McKeever is vice president and philanthropy chair of Kappa Psi, and served as the student coordinator for the blood drive.
“Donating blood is very important,” McKeever said. “This is literally the only way patients who need blood can get it. I’m sure all of us can think of at least one person who has needed a blood transfusion. When you donate blood, you can save three lives and when you donate through Michigan Blood, it’s for the patients in the surrounding areas.”
Michigan Blood Interim Site Lead and Director of Donor Services Dawn Kaiser has worked for the organization for five years and has more than 20 years of blood bank experience.
“One out of seven hospital visits results in a blood transfusion. If volunteers do not donate, the life saving gift may not be available to friends and families who need it. We depend on volunteer blood donations every day,” Kaiser said.
On average, Michigan Blood collects 114,000 donations each year, with each donation saving or enhancing life for up to three patients. However, the risk of blood shortage increases as the holiday season draws near.
“There are holiday and seasonal shortages because people are busy with vacations and family, but the need for blood never takes a holiday,” Kaiser said. “We need at least 500 donations every day to sustain an adequate blood supply.”
Several Ferris students who donated in the blood drive said that they feel donating blood is important.
“I just think it’s the right thing to do. I’m a donor on my driver’s license. If I can help people, I’ll help people,” Ferris television and digital media production junior Gabriel Walker said.
Ferris psychology freshman Bailey Hendricks donated for the third time and said she hopes to make it a regular experience.
“A lot of people in my family kind of have blood issues, and so I feel like I know other people do. I might as well help out and give what I can while I can,” Hendricks said.
“I feel like it’s important because, I mean there’s a lot of students here, so you can get a lot of donations in one area versus having to wait for donations to come in.”
Upcoming blood drives will be taking place Jan. 24 and March 21. Students can sign up on the Michigan Blood website or at tables that will be set up in the University Center.
“You get to save lives,” Ferris construction management junior Evan Schaap said. “One day you might need it.”