Each semester the Pam Rector Center for Service and Action and Crimson Circle partner with the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center for a Blood and Bone Marrow Drive. This year the drive will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 and Thursday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in St. Robert’s Auditorium. All eligible donors will receive a free promotional item. Register to donate here.
Any of the blood donated by students, staff, and faculty will be directly used to help patients at the UCLA Medical Center. Currently, the U.S. faces a critical blood shortage, so every blood donation is needed. UCLA needs blood donations to keep saving lives and helping people. According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the U.S. is in need of blood or platelets and each year about 6.8 million people in the U.S. donate blood.
Quintin Yates ’25, a physics major from Denver, CO, is part of Crimson Circle and will be continuing a streak of donating at every LMU blood drive that has occurred during his time on-campus. The blood drive is important because, “I’ve seen first-hand how my family members have been saved through blood transfusions,” said Yates. “It’s the easiest way I know to save lives. Crimson Circle and CSA organize these events to ensure that Lions have an opportunity to make a difference without having to leave LMU’s campus. And this year we are also opening up the drive to the community, so anybody can come to donate.”
To prepare to donate blood, UCLA recommends donors do the following:
- Eat well the day of donation; do not skip meals.
- Make healthy food choices for the meals before donation including:
- Proteins such as lean meats, cheese, or yogurt;
- Iron-rich foods such as red meat, spinach, and raisins;
- Complex carbohydrates like fruits and iron-fortified cereal.
- Hydration is important:
- Drink plenty of water before and after donation;
- Avoid caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, and cola) on the day of donation.
