After five consecutive years with a 1,000-pint blood donation goal, Appalachian and the Community Together
has raised its goal to 1,200 pints.
The seventh annual blood drive will be held Wednesday as part of Appalachian’s Homecoming 2013. The drive will be held at Holmes Convocation Center and is open to students, faculty and the community.
ACT Education Coordinator Rebecca Burwell said that an increase in number of blood drive supporters over the years has had an affect on the change in this years’ goal.
This years’ blood drive theme, “Saved by the Blood,” ties in with the university homecoming theme “Yosef loves the 90s.” Clubs and organizations have an opportunity to receive homecoming points to donate or volunteer at the drive, Burwell said.
Entertainment Coordinator Spencer Foster said that participating clubs and organizations must attend an interest meeting held by the Homecoming Committee and have members either donate blood or volunteer to receive points for the overall homecoming competition.
Associate Director of ACT Kate Johnson said that to receive points for blood drive involvement, the average group needs 25 percent participation.
Donations have increased every year in its six-year history. The drive collected 1,313 pints last year, according to specialevents.appstate.edu.
Appalachian has made history in the past with the success of the blood drive. Appalachian broke the state record for collecting the highest amount of blood in a single day in 2008, according to specialevents.appstate.edu. This also made the 10th largest blood drive in the entire country.
The blood drive will be held at Holmes Convocation Center on Sept. 25 and is open to students, faculty and the community.
Burwell said that ACT hopes to have 1,000 donors come out to the drive and expects more than 500 volunteers.
The blood drive is put on by a committee comprised of eight undergraduate student coordinators and includes Johnson and Red Cross representative Ginny Anderson.
Foster said the Blood Drive Committee has been meeting weekly since April and that gathering all supplies needed for the drive and setting up the Convocation Center was all the committee had left to do.
Foster said that the committee was excited for the blood drive.
“We’ve all put in countless hours collecting food donations, getting people signed up to donate and volunteer, and just planning to make sure the event runs as smoothly as possible,” he said.
Junior elementary education major Julieanne Pike is signed up to give blood Wednesday.
“I think it’s great that the blood drive has become such a huge part of Appalachian’s homecoming celebration,” Pike said. “It is great seeing the convocation center filled with people who are excited to donate and make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Story: NICOLE BELLAMY, Intern News Reporter