Community Blood Center pumps
its blood drive to Mizzou
By Drew Stewart, posted 4/14/06

Some of Mizzou’s most generous were in attendance for the Community Blood Center’s Blood Drive on April 7, at Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union. The doors opened at 11 a.m. and invited all willing blood donors until 5 p.m. Every contributor walked away with a free T-shirt, compliments of the Community Blood Center. Yet, most would argue that they left that day with a little more than some new threads.

“Giving blood gives me the satisfaction of helping people in need,” MU freshman and business major Sara Irwin said. 

The Community Blood Center, whose headquarters are in Jefferson City, makes a point to give blood back to the immediate community. All the blood that’s collected from a city will go to that city’s nearest hospital, collection supervisor Tony Townly said. 

“We’re community based, so we try to collect from the areas that the blood gets used in,” Townly said. “It’s very likely that the blood collected [at the blood drive] will be used in Columbia.”

Every blood donation is broken into three components: red blood cells, plasma and platelets.  Because of this, each donor has a chance to save three lives, phlebotomist Susan Richardson said. 

All donors also receive free cholesterol tests. Anyone interested in donating blood can visit the Community Blood Center Web site.

In the end though, some were content with the unique satisfaction they receive from donating blood.

“You get to save three lives,” Irwin said. “Not everyone gets to do that every day.”

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