Red Cross holding annual fall blood drive at Michigan Tech University

HOUGHTON. (WLUC) – The Red Cross is conducting its annual fall blood drive at Michigan Tech University (MTU) this week.

The drive is split across two days. The first half was on Wednesday, and the second half will be on Thursday from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. It is being held in the MTU Union Memorial Building ballroom.

The organization’s collection goal for the drive is roughly 350 pints of blood. Anyone can participate, but a form of photo ID is required. The entire process lasts about an hour, with snacks and drinks available afterward.

“The Michigan Tech campus is a great place to offer an opportunity for students to give blood,” said Red Cross Account Manager Christine Luxton. “A lot of these students have started giving in high school blood drives, and so this is a great way to continue that tradition.”

According to Luxton, the blood collected will go toward helping patients and hospitals across the country. This will be done as quickly as possible due to its limited shelf life.

“We generally take one pint at a time,” continued Luxton. “We do have a procedure called a Power Red procedure, which actually takes two units of the red blood cells.”

The Red Cross is also offering t-shirts to participants as part of their promotion of National Preparedness Month.

“Every eight seconds, somebody is utilizing services from the Red Cross,” added Luxton. “We are using this opportunity to be prepared with our blood supply and get the blood where it’s needed for any emergencies.”

To make an appointment for a specific time to have blood drawn during the drive, you can call 1-800-733-2767.

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