The American Red Cross Blood Drive will be on campus Tuesday, April 5 from 11-4 p.m. in the Blatnik Gym. Before going to the blood drive, prepare to bring the correct documents and take proper precautions to ensure a safe blood extraction . Those who attend will need photo identification or a blood donor card to donate blood. If you take prescriptions or over-the-counter medications, be sure to bring a list of medication names. Drink water and eat a healthy meal prior to getting your blood drawn.

The blood drive is being sponsored by the Student Health Services and West Liberty University’s Community Outreach Club. The Community Outreach Club took the lead on donor and volunteer recruitment and advertising. The Student Health Services assisted them by securing the venue and by keeping track of the logistics for the blood drive.

The upcoming blood drive is not the first that has taken place on campus. According to Oceanna Smith, the president of the Community Outreach Club, “Campus blood drives were a fairly regular occurrence before the pandemic, but this is the first drive that the university is hosting since the start of it.” Smith noted that the Community Outreach Club is committed to providing assistance in outreach efforts on campus and in the upper Ohio Valley area. “We are rooted in community, philanthropy, and service and we all have a passion for helping others.”

The university’s Director of Health Services, Christy Bennington said, “In the days prior to donation, donors should consume iron-rich foods such as fish, red meat, beans, bread, and dried fruit. Vitamin C helps the body increase iron absorption, therefore adding foods that contain Vitamin C is also important. Make sure to eat foods that are rich in Vitamin C including oranges, broccoli, tomatoes, and strawberries.”

Donors who have the blood types O-, O+, B-, and A- are eligible for Power Red to maximize the impact of their donation which takes an hour to complete. According to the American Red Cross website, “A Power Red donation allows you to safely donate two units of red blood cells during one donation. Blood is drawn from one arm through an automated process. A machine is used to separate and collect two separate units of red blood cells and then safely returns the remaining blood components, along with some saline, back to you through the same arm.”

Students, faculty and staff that wish to schedule an appointment for blood donation can call 1-800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter in the code: WLUToppers. A list of requirements for blood donation can be found on the Red Cross website.