GALLERY: Blood donations pour in from Sac State community
Students and faculty give back at on-campus drive
Adia Hayes, a sophomore environmental studies major, prepares to have a nurse draw her blood on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Participants were encouraged to donate blood and join the “Be The Match” marrow registry to double their donation.
April 23, 2022
Sacramento State University Union, The WELL, Associated Students Inc., and Vitalant hosted a blood drive Tuesday and Wednesday in Sac State’s University Union Ballroom.
Students were able to make appointments or walk in to donate blood and join the “Be The Match” marrow registry to double their donations.
Matthew Van Donsel, a program analyst at the college of continuing education, said that he used to donate every eight to nine weeks for three years, but the last time he donated was in 2015. He said he thought the blood drive was a great way for him to get back into donating.
“I think donating blood is important, I have a blood type that is not [too] rare but a little bit more rare [than other types],” Donsel said. “So it’s nice to donate knowing it’s going to go to someone who needs it.”.
Sac State encouraged campus organizations to participate as well by offering a $150 Round Table gift card to the group with the most participants. Donors also received a free T-shirt.
“I’m in a club, so it’s one of my community services, but I also like to donate [blood] regularly because it feels good knowing that you’re helping two or three lives,” recreation, parks and tourism major Roxana Huerta said.
The Union Ballroom was not full of students and faculty waiting to donate, but few had finished.
“I always donate to volunteer, today was actually better than my other times [donating],” said Natalia Martinez-Barragan, a freshman health science major.
Lauren Zan, a senior nursing major, said she decided to donate because she has a lot of patients in her hospital rotations who receive blood and she sees firsthand the benefits that blood donors provide.
“It’s super easy, I came to campus and I didn’t first internally say I was going to donate today,” Zan said. “I saw the advertisements, signed up, completed the questionnaire and made an appointment for right now.”
