ETSU Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement is partnering with Volunteer ETSU and Marsh Regional Blood Center on March 4 for a blood drive called “Here for the Hoopla” on the second floor of the D.P. Culp Student Center. This event will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This is the only blood drive scheduled for this semester, and the offices have high hopes for collections. Since it is the year 2020 the idea is to get 20 teams of 20 to donate blood, which would accumulate to 400 donors. The goal is to give 500 units of blood. This would be the most ever collected in a single day by Marsh Regional Blood Center and on campus.
All donors will receive a free T-shirt, a free wing voucher from East Coast Wings and snacks after donating. The first 20 teams to register by March 2 will receive all that plus a custom silicone pint cup.
Joy Fulkerson, director of Leadership and Civic Engagement, is overseeing this program, and giving blood is something that hits close to home for her.
“I am anemic and have been a recipient of blood,” said Fulkerson. “Having had severe anemia and blood loss, I needed a transfusion several years ago, so I am one who understands the importance of blood.”
Each pint of blood saves three lives and a donor can give about every 56 days. All the blood donated to Marsh Regional Blood Center stays within the area from Northeast Tennessee to Southwest Virginia.
“We are really excited about the blood drive, and the Marsh Regional Blood Center staff have been really great partners,” said Fulkerson. “I think this is a great way to kick off not just this drive but additional drives coming up.”
Anyone looking to give blood must be at least 17 years old and at least 110-pounds and be in good health. Anyone can be tested on-site to see if they are able to give blood.
