‘Bleed Green’ and save a life

By Drew Espeseth
Contributing Writer
Homecoming at NDSU is a time for fun and celebrating. It may also be a time to save a life.
For the third year, NDSU held its “Bleed Green” blood drive in conjunction with United Blood Services.
Katie Hawley, a senior majoring in hospitality and tourism management, headed up the drive for Campus Attractions.
“It’s a philanthropy event,” Hawley said. “One that’s sponsored by Campus Attractions and the Homecoming committee.”
A blood drive as a homecoming event isn’t unique to NDSU. A competition has developed in the last few years between NDSU and UND to see which school can collect the most blood during their respective homecoming weeks.
NDSU has come up short of winning the competition for the last two years, but Hawley doesn’t attribute it to lack of effort.
“We always have other blood drives on campus with different organizations,” Hawley said.
Drives seem to be grouped together in the span of a few weeks during the fall. A donor must wait eight weeks before donating again, so those who participate in other drives may not be able to give during Homecoming.
Hawley said the groups tried to make sure the drives were more spread out this year, and will focus even more on scheduling next year if it continues to be a hindrance.
Jenna McCollum, a donor recruitment representative with United Blood Services, said the amount of blood collected is measured by successful donations that a hospital can use.
McCollum said there were 38 donations Tuesday, although she didn’t have the final results from the hospitals as far as usable donations were concerned.
The preliminary number of donors for the first day of the drive proved to be a good sign.
“We usually average about 38 donors the first day, and try for about 50 on the next days,” McCollum said.
McCollum, who has worked with United Blood Services for six months, said she’s been involved with other drives on campus, although this is her first Bleed Green Homecoming event.
She stated United Blood Services promises 300 units of blood to hospitals per day, which is collected through drives like this one and with the use of bloodmobiles, mobile donation stations.
“Those 300 units then serve 72 area hospitals,” McCollum said.
NDSU’s Bleed Green drive has proven to be successful in the past, and Hawley is optimistic for the future.
“It keeps getting better and better each year,” Hawley said.
In the makeshift waiting room outside the Memorial Union’s Prairie Rose Room, students sat prepared to donate.
Rachel Fritz, a sophomore majoring in veterinary technology, sat outside the room, calmly waiting her turn. Fritz has donated before, and she was happy to do so again.
“I think it’s a good thing that they have this, with the whole ‘beat UND’ thing, but it’s nice they do constructive things like this,” Fritz said.
Jose Mergotte, a freshman mechanical engineering major, had never donated before due to participation in sports, but had worked at blood drives in the past.
Mergotte was also calm and ready to go.
“It’s not like it’s going to hurt,” Mergotte said.
Mergotte agreed with Fritz that a blood drive is an excellent event for Homecoming.
“I think it’s pretty cool, it’d be nice if more people would do it,” Mergotte said. “And it’s kind of cool that they throw in a little competition with UND.”
The NDSU-UND rivalry might draw in the donors, but Hawley pointed out the true goal of the Bleed Green blood drive.“Of course, getting the blood to the hospitals it most important,” Hawley said.