California University of Pennsylvania hosted a blood donation drive yesterday for the Central Blood Bank. The event took place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m in the Natali Performance Center. 

According to the Center for Volunteer Programs and Service Learning at Cal U they try to hold at least two blood drives for the Central Blood Bank per semester.

Diane Hasbrouck, the director for the Center for Volunteer Programs and Service Learning, said that she usually sees the same students at each blood drive but every time there are more and new faces.

“All the volunteering options that the volunteer center offers are all beneficial but this one, working with Central Blood Bank, seems to bring out more volunteers and walk-ins who wish to donate blood to help out,” said Hasbrouck.

All participated donors, students and staff that signed up via OrgSync or walked into the event, received an ugly Christmas sweater T-shirt, various snacks and drinks that were provided, and a one hour of service credit for donating blood.

“I am always looking for more service hours,” Mikayla DiCesare said, senior and member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority.

“We need a certain amount of volunteer hours each semester. There are always a lot of options to do that and while donating blood isn’t my favorite task because I do not like needles but I do it because it if for a good cause.” DiCesare said.

She said that many of her sorority sisters also donated earlier that day but they probably had more enthusiasm about donating their blood than she did.

The volunteer center had about 30 people sign up for the blood drive via OrgSync but around 10 to 15 people who walked in to donate as well. Many of the walk-ins were friends of someone who signed up to volunteer and ended up donating as well.

“That is how it seems to work on this campus,” Hasbrouck said. “We get a lot of people that sign up to volunteer for events but we also get friends that tag along. It is usually those students that benefit the most from volunteering and donating.”

Events such as the Central Blood Bank Drive are most helpful when it comes to receiving a lot of volunteers and walk-ins since donated blood only lasts 42 days according to CentralBloodBank.org.

Central Blood Bank is a not-for-profit organization that supplies and distributes 140,000 units of blood to approximately 50 hospitals from western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio.

Central Blood Bank is always looking to take more donations and host more events to help the nearby hospitals.

“As much as I hate donating blood it is nice knowing that I’m helping someone out,” DiCesare said. “Maybe I’ll drag my sisters to donate with me again one day.”