More than 4.5 million people are expected to need a blood transfusion this year, and more than 100 Ball State University students took the chance to help those people during the Angels for Life Blood Drive Wednesday.
But the number of donors is still too low, blood drive organizer Kim Hiatt said.
Angels for Life averages about 185 donations - about one percent of Ball State's student body - each time it has the two-day blood drive for Indiana Blood Center, the main blood supplier to Ball Memorial Hospital and several other hospitals in Indiana.
This is the fourth Angels for Life this academic year, Hiatt said, with a fifth in May.
The American Red Cross experiences fewer donations than Indiana Blood Center each time it visits campus.
Amanda Banks, American Red Cross spokesperson, said the organization collects an average of 75 donations each time it has a drive at Ball State. One pint of blood will help an average of three people, she said.
Most people do not realize how great the need for blood is, Hiatt said. Ball Memorial needs more than 550 units of blood a day, Hiatt said, and the Staff Council is aiming for 300 units for this blood drive, she said.
Hiatt said the number of donors is "frustrating" because less than one percent of students donate each time.
Mallory Dobson, a freshman majoring in secondary education in life science, said there were not many donors in comparison to the number of students at Ball State.
"They have a lot of blood drives here," Dobson said, "but when you think about how many people are here, that's not a lot."
Christine King, field representative for Indiana Blood Center, said a lot of the donors at the bigger blood drives, such as Angels for Life, have donated in the past. In order to attract new donors, King said, she set up a table in the Atrium, along with using flyers and e-mails, to inform students.
"I think a lot of kids, it is fear or, in general, they think someone else will do it," King said about why students don't donate.
Freshman marketing major Matt Witt said he was donating for the first time as the machine beside him drew a pint of blood from his arm. He decided to donate after visiting the table set up in the Atrium.
"[The needle] hurt a little bit," he said. "I was a little scared coming in. I had never done this before. [But] it feels good helping someone."
Hiatt said a lot of students tend to avoid the drives because they think they will be deferred because of medication they are taking.
Elizabeth Sutton, the supervising blood collector, said over-the-counter medications are acceptable for donors. The most common drug donors are deferred for is the acne medication Accutane, Sutton said.
Hiatt said she has seen cases where being deferred can have benefits even though it means people become ineligible donors.
"One girl came in several times and was always deferred. She came in and said she was lucky because her doctor found an uncommon problem that's usually not found until it's too late," Hiatt said. "That kind of makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside."
Hiatt said she would realistically like to reach 400 donations by the end of today, which has happened before.
"If we had 1,000 people donate here in a two-day time, I would be ecstatic," she said. "If we got 400, I will be quite happy ... That goal is not unrealistic
Leanne Fabellar contributed to this report.
Give todayThe Angels for Life Blood Drive When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Where: Pruis Hall
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