Students and community members gave back by volunteering to donate blood at the American Red Cross blood drive.

The event was scheduled as part of Homecoming Week. The Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority co-sponsored the Bleed Blue Blood Drive.

Though the University Board Homecoming Committee co-sponsored the event, volunteers and publicity were non-existent, said Amanda Palarz, Community Chairman of ASA.

Sponsoring the blood drive was not new to the members of ASA. They regularly sponsor American Red Cross blood drives on campus as a way of giving back to the community.

Since the members of ASA have experience with blood drive events, they stepped up to the challenge and took control of all aspects of the blood drive.

“Basically, we passed out flyers around campus and posted signs in the quads to really get the word out,” Palarz said.

The women of ASA had 60 volunteers working the event with 10 volunteers present per hour.

About 15 of the ASA members went beyond expectations and donated blood.

“The goal of today’s blood drive is 45 pints. So far we are at about 40 with a couple hours left today,” Angie Lobdell, American Red Cross Donor Recruitment Representative said. “The number of the goal depends on what commitments we made to the hospitals for the day.”

Lobdell said the Bleed Blue Blood Drive was successful due to the members of ASA.

“Today has been going great, we’ve had a lot of donors. It doesn’t always go this well, Lobdell said. “This group has been doing so well. The success all depends on the sponsor group getting the word out.”

Volunteers donate one pint of blood each, which can save up to three lives, Lobdell said.

Only five percent of people in the nation are donating blood, so it is crucial for people to start donating.

“I donate because I feel like it’s a good cause and the right thing to do,” Tyler Zimmer, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon said.

The Bleed Blue Blood Drive was Zimmer’s third time donating blood to the American Red Cross and he doesn’t plan on it being his last.

“A person can donate blood every 56 days,” Lobdell said, “And we try to do a blood drive on campus two-three times a month.”

The upcoming American Red Cross blood drives on campus will take place on Oct. 26 in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union and on Nov. 10 in Andrews Hall.

The members of ASA will continue giving back to the community sponsoring American Red Cross blood drives on Nov. 18 and Dec. 2 in Andrews Hall.

“We service 120 hospitals in the region, so we are always looking for groups to sponsor events,” Lobdell said.

If a person or group is interested in sponsoring an American Red Cross blood drive they can contact Angie Lobdell at (217) 690-9869 or [email protected].

Lauren Lombardo can be reached at 581-7942

or [email protected].