An American Red Cross blood drive at Pruis Hall on Wednesday morning kicked off with a special prize for one donor.
The organization awarded nursing major Justin Duncan with a $1,000 Marriott Hotels gift card and a $1,000 American Airlines gift card.
"What a Spring Break gift that will be," donor recruitment representative Sharon Rhodes said.
Duncan entered a drawing in January when he gave blood at a drive at Windermere Place, his apartment complex, Rhodes said.
About 23,000 people in Indiana and Ohio entered the drawing over two months, she said.
"Throughout the year, we'll have a really fun promotion," she said. "This one was just really cool. I'm just blown away that a Ball State student won."
Rhodes said the point of these kinds of promotions is to attract more people to blood drives. The Red Cross tends to get a good response on college campuses, she said.
Freshman nursing major Lauren McCready said she donated blood for the third time at the drive.
"I kind of feel an obligation to give blood because I have the blood type that's needed the most," she said. "I just think it's a really good way to give back to the community and to help people."
Freshman telecommunications major Emily Westermeier donated blood for the first time Wednesday, she said. Westermeier wasn't able to donate the minimum amount of blood because a clot formed, she said, but she was looking forward to trying again.
"I was walking by and I decided I would give blood today," she said. "I actually gave blood because my sister passed away from cancer, and so giving blood's a big thing in our family."
Rhodes said the Red Cross will have another blood drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 25 at Johnson Complex in Schmidt-Wilson halls.
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