Fire up, chips! The time has come yet again to face our rivals the Broncos, but this time, it’s not in a sport. Monday, March 25th, a student/faculty blood drive will be taking place in the Emmons hall lobby from noon until 6 p.m. This program is going to be run by the American Red Cross association and is available for anyone on campus or in the Mt. Pleasant area who is interested in donating. Any willing walk-in blood donors will be awarded with a CMU t-shirt and students will be given the chance to win free text books for the upcoming 2013 fall semester. The same event will be taking place in Kalamazoo and once each University finishes, the total donations will be accounted for to determine who wins the overall challenge. Put on your game faces and let’s show Western what we’re made of, CMU!
The requirements for participating in the blood drive include being at least 17 years of age and weighing 110 pounds or more. If you happen to have gotten any tattoo, piercing, blood transfusion or have travelled outside of the U.S. in the past 12 months, you are considered ineligible to donate but are still welcome to come and show support at the drive. The same goes for anyone who has a fever of approximately 99.5 F or higher, is a user of illegal drugs such as cocaine or marijuana, or has been diagnosed with any type of autoimmune disease in their lifetime. There are several other guidelines regarding whether or not an individual is qualified to donate, and these can be seen on the American Red Cross website (www.redcrossblood.org) or by contacting Lindsey Scheible of the American Red Cross association.
Aside from beating the Broncos, this charity event will have benefits that are far more significant and poignant to our society. Many are unaware, but every three seconds someone in the world is in need of blood. The amount of blood normally donated measures out to be a pint, and that seemingly small quantity is enough to save at least three lives. The blood given by those who volunteer is usually used within 24 hours of the donation, demonstrating just how necessary a cause such as this is. It is said that over 75% of Americans who have reached the age of 72 will be required to receive some sort of blood transfusion in their lifetime, and over 95% of Americans will have a friend or family member who, at one point or another, will be in need of blood. The donation can also be beneficial to those providing the blood; it’s been proven that the procedure can help to remove excess iron which is a factor in increasing the risk of both heart disease and certain cancers. Whether you’re a chip or not, come support an amazing cause this upcoming Monday and help CMU win the blood drive challenge against our competitors at Western!