With an increased emphasis on service this election year, the Community Service Office will once again be sponsoring four University-wide blood drives during the academic year.
The first drive will be held Sept. 16. There will be 13 locations at which to donate blood- at least one at each of the Danforth, Medical and West campuses. A variety of times will be offered as well.
Last year’s blood drives proved incredibly successful. The University community donated more than 1,800 units of blood, tripling the amount donated during the previous year.
“The community really stepped up last year,” said Stephanie Kurtzman, director of the Community Service Office and associate director of the Richard A. Gephardt Institute for Public Service. “We hope to keep that momentum going. There is great need for blood in the St. Louis area and our goal is to increase the donations from last year’s total.”
Would-be donors and volunteers are encouraged to sign up at communityservice.wustl.edu/donateblood.
“We want people to sign up online so that the events will be properly staffed by the blood banks,” Kurtzman said. “We welcome walk-in donors, but appointments help us stay on schedule so that donors can get in and out faster. Also, when you sign up online, you can change your appointment at any time.”
Those who cannot donate blood or don’t want to can also sign up online to volunteer at one of the donation sites.
Future blood drives will take place Nov. 12, 2008; Jan. 27, 2009; and March 25, 2009.
The drives are sponsored by the Community Service Office, in collaboration with American Red Cross and Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center.
For media assistance please contact:
Neil Schoenherr
News Writer
nschoenherr@wustl.edu
(314) 935-5235