SUNY Canton’s Blood Drive 101; are you donating?

CANTON, N.Y. (WWTI) – SUNY Canton is to hold its 101st American Red Cross blood drive.

The blood drive will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26, and Wednesday, September 27, in the Richard W. Miller Center, room 212.

“We’ve set a goal of reaching 101 on-campus donors during the two-day drive, — All blood types are needed during this national blood shortage, with a continued emphasis on Type 0 donations.”

Farren C. Lobdell, the college’s Wellbeing Programs & Initiatives director

The event is co-sponsored by the Alpha Chi Omicron, Inc. sorority, according to Lobdell.

The Red Cross informed the college that this year it will surpass its 100th collection event. SUNY Canton officials and campus health advocates appreciated the term “Blood Drive 101,” as it signifies a milestone achievement and sounds like a credit-bearing college course number.

The Red Cross distributes blood supplies to approximately 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers in the U.S. SUNY Canton has had more than 4,400 donors, including more than 1,400 first-time donors, during the previous 100 drives. The events have collected approximately 4,289 units of blood with Each unit capable of saving one life or more.  

Appointments are encouraged for the on-campus blood drive, you can sign up through the American Red Cross website or the Blood Donor app. Online students, remote faculty, family and friends can also participate in the college’s virtual blood drive by scheduling a donation through the college’s unique link, virtual appointments allow participants to donate at any Red Cross drive in the United States.

In a previous article, the Red Cross discussed that climate-related disasters have thwarted blood collection efforts and a summer shortfall has increased scarcity, meaning the national blood supply has dropped nearly 25% since August.