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MHCC sets another blood drive record
The Advocate
The MHCC spring blood drive set a school record and saved about 405 lives last week, according American Red Cross representative Joseph Shockley.
“Every unit can have an impact on three people’s lives in a hospital,” Shockley said. “Last week we collected 135 units, a 450 percent increase from a couple years ago.
“It was pretty much the most profound growth we’ve seen in an educational setting — college or high school — since forever, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
This was the third of four blood drives held throughout the year. The goal was to beat the record and help as many people as possible while doing it, said ASG President Janine Johnston.
“The way that we have it worked out with the Red Cross is that with every blood drive we do, we try to run our numbers up a little bit,” Johnston said. “This isn’t average but since I really love them, I’m always like ‘come on! Break our goal! Break our goal!’ so what it meant for us is that if we made the goal, it would be the highest amount that we’ve ever collected, and we actually went over that goal by 15 units.”
While breaking records and helping those in need is important, none of it would be possible without the volunteer donors, Johnston said.
“I think it (the level of involvement) is wonderful. It’s wonderful that people come together and give their time knowing that it could be somebody in the community that needs it,” said Johnston.
And the more MHCC involvement, the more of an impact there is on those in need.
“The more of a contributor that Mt. Hood is, the easier it is for us (Red Cross) to make sure that they (hospitals) always have blood,” said Shockley. “There’s no substitute for volunteer donors.”
Shockley said, “A few years ago, when I started working with them (MHCC) there was support, but there just wasn’t enough outreach and now the student government, in the last few years, has really stepped up and really owned it and put it on their shoulders.
“The truth about it is people aren’t going to give or even consider giving blood unless someone reaches out and asks them personally,” he said. “And that personal act, which is what’s been happening by the student government on a large scale, and a much larger scale than it’s ever happened before, is what’s made the difference.”