On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Le Moyne College’s Physician Assistant program will hold its first blood drive of the year from 12-5 p.m. in the Special Events Room, located on the first floor of the Campus Center. Donors will also receive a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin Donuts coffee.

     According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. One pint of blood, the average amount per donation, can save up to three lives. Each year, the Red Cross collects approximately 16 million blood donations from over 9.5 million donors. In order to meet patient needs across the country, the Red Cross would need to collect 22,000 units of blood each weekday and roughly 15,000 units each weekend.

     “The goal of this drive is to get at least 41 units of blood donated and to spread awareness about the importance of blood donation,” said Rebecca Brown, the faculty advisor of PASS (Physician Assistant Student Society) and assistant coordinator for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. “We get some people who are donating for the very first time, and those who are seasoned veterans of the donation process!”

     Individuals who wish to donate whole blood must meet certain eligibility requirements set forth by the Red Cross. Donors must be healthy, which means that “you feel well and can perform normal activities. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes, healthy also means that you are being treated and the condition is under control.”

     Donors must also be at least 17 years old, and must weigh at least 110 pounds.

     Brown further noted the opportunity for donors to do a Double Red Cell Donation, which can be an option for males who are at least 5’1” and 130 pounds, and females who are at least 5’5” and 150 pounds.

     “This is where blood is removed from one arm, run through a machine that removes two units of red cells, as opposed to one unit during traditional blood donation, and then returned through the same arm,” Brown explained. “It takes a bit longer, around 15 minutes or so, but it can help twice as many people!”

     Other criteria include medications and vaccinations, general health considerations, medication conditions, medical treatments, lifestyle and life events, sexually transmitted diseases, and travel outside the United States. More information on these criteria can be found on the Red Cross website, at www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements.

     The Physician Assistant Student Society, known also as PASS, sponsors at least two blood drives a year. The most recent blood drive, which took place this past fall, was a complete success, with the Red Cross and students helping to reach and surpass their set goal. They collected 150 percent of what they hoped to get in donations.

     “People should donate blood because it is an easy way to help so many individuals,” said Brown. “Donating blood helps save lives. How often can something you do, that takes less than an hour, save someone’s life?!”

     For more information, contact Brown at [email protected] or visit the Red Cross website at www.redcrossblood.org/.