The Bears held a blood drive to help the Red Cross National blood inventory that has been the lowest since 2015. Zoe Ridenour and Rachael Ialacci are the two student coordinators who work with the Red Cross to make this happen. All of their efforts came together to conduct the second blood drive of the year on November 4.
Zoe Ridenour is a fourth-year business management major, she does an abundance of behind-the-scenes action. This includes reserving the room and tables when she is given the dates for the drives from Peter Checkie the account manager for the Red Cross and Ohio Northern. Her partner Rachael Ialacci, a P5, does more of the onsite execution.
Part of the onsite execution is making sure that there are volunteers to help check each donor in. There were 6 volunteers who took shifts throughout the event. Each student volunteer earned one community service hour that counted toward their major. These students sat at the entrance in about hour shifts of two, and one checked students’ identification while the other crossed their name off the appointment list and gave them a name tag.
Donors were recommended to make an appointment before the day of the drive. “[We] filled all but one scheduled slot” Zoe declared with a smile stretching from ear to ear. This blood drive took place from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and around three, Zoe remarked that “The drive has gone smooth… [we] had 56 units collected counting the people on the bed and the goal is 75, so we are already halfway to the goal.”
With the help of the students and the community of Ada, Ohio Northern was able to excel at this goal by the end of the day and give 79 units to the Red Cross. Recently there has been less than a half-day supply of type O blood at times over the last month. This is certainly troubling for all patients in need, as type O blood is the most transfused blood type in the U.S. Furthermore, each ONU student that gave blood potentially saved three lives, regardless of their blood type.
Donors not only saved three lives, but they earned community service and learned their blood type as well. This not only benefits them but also various others that they do not even realize they are contributing to. Marlee Luck is a P4 and she voiced her thoughts on donating.
Stacey Stellenbarger, the team supervisor for this drive, has been working for the red cross for 17 years. She stated, “We are in constant need all the time, it is one of the things that they can’t replicate, so we have to have the volunteers in order to get the product.” With ONU holding 2-3 drives a year in connection with the Red Cross there is a major amount of donations. Cheekie affirmed that these drives are “Only successful because of the students.”
The next drive is being held on January 27 in Mac-activities. Zoe concluded “I would encourage people to give blood because it truly does make a difference, it makes you feel good, you know you are helping and there are a lot of people in need. A lot of people. There is always a crucial need even if they don’t say that directly”