| NEWS
| July 14, 2005
Patronage by the Pint
EX.C.E.L., Carter BloodCare blood
drive ends today
By Britney
Tabor
The Shorthorn Staff
As Jessica Riegler sat in the air-conditioned
Carter BloodCare bus on the University Center mall Monday, a needle
injected into her left arm carried blood into a white plastic bag.
The education junior pressed a soft cushioned ball in her left hand
to keep her blood circulating. As the bag weighed in at one pint
and a Carter BloodCare attendant told her she was done, she closed
her eyes when the needle was taken out.
“I hate this part,” Riegler said.
But after making a donation to the local Carter BloodCare blood
drive sponsored by EX.C.E.L. Campus Activities and UTA Volunteers,
she said the worst part was getting her finger pricked in the mini-physical.
Riegler said just knowing someone could walk by one of the buses
located on the UC mall and the Central Library mall and not donate
is wrong.
“Just being afraid of a needle is selfish when you know you
could have saved someone’s life,” she said.
Riegler was one of more than 60 donors that have participated in
the four-day blood drive, which concludes at 4 p.m. today. Anyone
who is at least 17 years old, weighs a minimum 110 pounds and passes
the mini-physical given before donating can participate. People
donating or attempting to donate in July can register to win a $1,000
gift certificate to Home Depot given by the North Texas Carter BloodCare
district and receive a free T-shirt. They will also receive a free
coupon for an ice cream sundae at EX.C.E.L.’s ice cream social
being held today from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the UC mall.
Shadretta Collins, Carter BloodCare team leader, said that depending
on a person’s veins, the process of donating can take anywhere
from five to 10 minutes and that donors must eat a well-balanced
meal a couple of hours before donating.
Collins said that after arriving at the donor sites on campus, a
potential donor has a blood pressure check, is given a mini-physical,
fills out a questionnaire, and if everything checks out OK is able
to donate. After donating, a participant is taken to the canteen
area of the bus for juice and cookies while attendants make sure
the donor is OK before leaving.
She said the donated blood goes to local hospitals because of the
urgent need. She said more than an estimated 10,000 people donate
each year in Tarrant County, and participants can donate a pint
of blood every 56 days. Even though some may fear donating, she
said she believes the ones who do leave feeling better knowing their
blood is going to a good cause.
“Every pint of blood helps out at least three people,”
she said. “The hospitals still need blood for transfusions,
and it’s important for students to donate.”
Jennifer Griggs, EX.C.E.L. campus traditions director, said co-sponsoring
the event is showing the community that they care not only about
the patients but the surrounding area hospitals.
Suzy Miller, Carter BloodCare public relations director, said blood
donations rose by 10 percent last year, but it hasn’t met
with the amount of usage needed in hospitals, which so far this
year has risen by three percent. Miller said the largest factor
in the shortage of donors is competing for people’s time.
She encourages people to take just a few minutes out of their busy
schedule to give a precious and unique gift to someone in need.
“That time out of your day can mean a second chance at a whole
lifetime for someone,” she said.
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