Binghamton University received an award Thursday from the American Red Cross for increasing its donations by 229 units, the largest annual increase in the number of blood donations out of all SUNY schools.
According to Student Association President Jared Kirschenbaum, the award shows how BU can ‘come together in a community effort’ to help save lives.
The award reflects not only Binghamton students’ willingness to give blood, but also the ability of the campus to come together for a good cause, according to Laurie Hubik, the senior accounts manager for the Red Cross in Binghamton.
‘This award is due to a campus-wide effort,’ Hubik said.
She added that blood drives, as well as various other efforts to improve the community, help show how well Binghamton students are kept informed of pressing needs in society and how their lives can affect others in the larger world.
‘It’s a great symbol of how much Binghamton students care,’ said BU Interim President C. Peter Magrath, who attended the awards ceremony.
While students coming together in hopes of helping the community is a big reason for this increase in blood donations, there are several other factors at play. Hubik said members of the BU faculty have helped to spread awareness about blood drives.
‘One of the biggest differences I’ve seen over the past few years have been students coming to us wanting to give blood rather than us looking for students,’ Hubik said.
Faculty members have made it easy for students to find out about the various blood drives by holding them in the Mandela Room in the Old University Union, where students don’t have to go out of their way to get to them.
The University now posts times of blood drives online to help spread the word as well. The Red Cross even gives out an annual scholarship of $1,000 to the student who gives the most blood on campus.
Hubik said, however, that it is not just a rise in student donations that one can attribute to the increased level of donations. In fact, students only make up about 15 percent of the total donations on campus, she said.
Kirschenbaum confirmed this, saying that donations come from ‘community members, students and faculty coming together’ to help in the cause.
Hubik said that students should remember that every donation they make has the ability to save up to three patients’ lives, and that only about 3 percent of the U.S. population actually donates blood.
‘Donations are particularly important in the months leading up to the holidays, as we prepare for students being away,’ she said.
For students who wish to get involved and help to provide an even bigger gain in donations, there are three blood drives going on this month in the Mandela Room. More information can be obtained by calling (607) 777-2157.