According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
This calls for a high demand of donated blood, which is why every year Keene State College hosts two blood drives.
This semester’s blood drive was hosted last Wednesday in the Mabel Brown Room.
According to coordinator of community service at KSC Jessica Gagne Cloutier, over 93 pints of blood were donated.
“Our goal for each of these blood drives is usually about one hundred pints,” Gagne Cloutier said.
“If you know of anyone who wants to give, you should send them our way.”
George Amaru / art Director
According to Gagne Cloutier, donating blood is important and should be done as often as possible.
“It’s important to give as much blood as you can, especially considering you can give every fifty-six days,” Gagne Cloutier said, “Chances are good that our close circle of friends and family have probably received a blood donation in their lifetime, and [blood] isn’t something we can create…it comes from us.”
She continued, “In order to save somebody’s life, we absolutely need donors who are willing to give.”
Similarly, students said donating blood was important to them.
KSC senior Cassandra Cloutier said saving lives is something she likes about donating blood.
“With one donation, a pint of blood can save up to three lives,” Cloutier said, “I’m a senior and I’ve donated four or five times over the course of my time at KSC, and even if you’re afraid of donating, the benefits are so rewarding.”
Likewise, KSC junior Chris Wiel said he appreciates seeing how many students come out to donate.
“It’s nice to see people you know deciding to take time and donate after class, after all it’s a really good cause and it does save lives,” Wiel said.
According to the community blood center, donated blood usually reaches a patient who needs it within ten days.
These patients can need it due to losing a lot of blood as a result of an accident, during surgery or illnesses that cause low red blood cell count.
While Gagne Cloutier said it is important to donate blood, she also noted that there are certain circumstances where one may be ineligible to donate.
“It could be a new tattoo, some traveling you’ve done, it could be medication you’re taking or have taken, your iron could be low, so there’s lots of things that can go into being an eligible donor,” Gagne Cloutier said.
However, she said that those who are eligible should because there is a national shortage of blood.
“I always think about kind of my immediate family and I think ‘oh my cousins or my mom or my dad or my sister’ and if they ever needed it, the only way they could get that is if someone donates blood,” Gagne Cloutier said.
According to Gagne Cloutier, KSC has been hosting blood drives for over ten years. Another blood drive will be hosted in the fall semester of the next academic year.
Gagne Cloutier said, “It’s one of those things that I try to think about at the time, I’m saving at least one life when I give. So that’s really why it’s so important. We really are saving lives every time.”
Devon Roberts can be contacted at droberts@kscequinox.com
