2010 Blood Drive Makes History for Plaza College

By Roberto Valle Mojica

Filled with anxiety, Ms. Neresa Joseph spent nearly a week in anticipation of something that would only take up several minutes of her day.  With her body shivering and her mind working itself into a frenzy, Neresa was finally face-to-face with what she had been dreading for days: one little needle.  With the support of her professors and her newfound understanding of the impact she was about to make, like so many others at Plaza College last summer, Ms. Joseph bravely donated blood.

This past July, Plaza College successfully held its first ever blood drive.  With a total of 98 donors, including students, staff members and walk-in participants, the event was quite an accomplishment.  Plaza exceeded its expectations by contributing a total of 75 units of blood in all, far exceeding the school’s estimated goal of 50 units.  While the blood drive’s immediate success seems to forecast its future success annually, there was a lot of hard work and planning that went into the event.

Dean Loffert, the blood drive coordinator, expressed her gratitude by thanking participants and facilitators of the drive. “I would like to thank you all for your wonderful work on our Blood Drive which took place on Thursday July, 22.  Thanks to everyone's efforts,” Loffert continues, “we were able to successfully reach our projected goals. Also, the Alpha Sigma Lambda and Sigma Kappa Delta national honor societies achieved their goals with their bake sale by feeding everyone that donated blood and raising approximately $300 for their bricks for the Ronald McDonald House benefit.”

The Ronald McDonald House is a charity that provides lodging to family members of sick children who otherwise might sleep in hospital waiting rooms, in their cars or be forced to drive long distances home and back. By providing a family center in which families can be close, studies show that sick children heal better and families cope better as well.

The joint forces of Sigma Kappa Delta and Alpha Sigma Delta organized a bake sale that benefited blood donators, and in the process, raised money for the Ronald McDonald House charity. Every person who donated blood helped him or herself to complimentary baked goods provided by the two honor societies. Everyone else purchased his or her food, but it was a small price to pay for a great cause—raising money for the Ronald McDonald House benefit.

Although it might make people nervous, as was the case with Neresa Joseph, donating blood is a worthwhile and fulfilling act.  “It was a wonderful experience,” Ms. Joseph explained, “and I am happy I did it.”  Neresa went on to explain that she decided to donate blood after being informed of its great importance, and the good it can do for people in need.

Donating blood is a unique contribution mainly because it cannot be manufactured. Many patients are dependent on the blood of others for their wellbeing. A woman giving birth and a child fighting cancer are each examples of recipients who require the help of blood donors. A little blood can go a long way. A pint of blood can save up to three lives; therefore, imagine how many lives will benefit from the seventy-five units of blood in which Plaza graciously donated.

With every drop of blood that was given, a life was given a second chance.

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