Collegiate Times

After a proclaimed season of giving, businesses usually find their profit margin comfortably out of the red — thanks to using the man-in-the-red-suit as a marketing tool. For the moment, stores can hibernate by using their financially secure holiday weight. However, some organizations are not so full around the middle. During this same period of generosity, usual donors tend to give blood less, leaving organizations like the American Red Cross bone dry.

"The holidays are always a difficult time for us because people are really busy with their families and schedules. About a third of our donors are high school and college students, so when they are on break, our supplies drop … but we need blood every day of the year," said Tracy Moran, American Red Cross employee.

Recently, the ebb and flow of donors has drastically declined.

"Our blood supply has dropped over the last several weeks," said Bob Lutjen, director of PR and communications for the Appalachian Region Blood Services. "We normally have about a four-to-five day supply, and right now we are hovering around the two-to-three day mark."

The blood supply decrease has reached record levels.

"We haven't had a blood supply this low in almost two years, which is why we are trying to make a big push to get people to donate," Moran said.

Lutjen explained why blood is in constant demand.

"We have the ability to meet our blood needs in this region but on average, only five percent of the population donates blood. That percent is supplying 100 percent of the blood supply," he said.

Moran gave reasons for why some eligible donors do not donate.

"A lot of people don't donate because they forget that there is a need for it, or they get busy with their lives … many times it's simply because they don't have someone who asks them to," Moran said.

For the American Red Cross, old acquaintances will not be forgotten in the New Year. VT Red Cross club members like Priya Vasa, junior biology major, recruit donors by calling students who have previously given blood in seasons past.

"I got involved because I think it is a good cause. A lot of people don't realize the importance of donating blood, that there is a shortage and it's in constant need," Vasa said. She continued,"We help sponsor blood drives once a month at Virginia Tech that are two to three days long."

Successful blood drives at Virginia Tech are vital to the American Red Cross. Lutjen explained that 15 to 20 percent of the regions blood supply comes from college students.

"Virginia Tech single sponsoring group that we have in this region for blood drives. We collect about 2,000 pints a year from Tech alone but that is still a fraction of the number of students that attend. The Tech community is important because there are so many young, healthy people who have the ability to make a huge difference on the blood supply," Lutjen said.

He continued, "Every two seconds, someone in the country requires blood … that's a national statistic … so you can see it doesn't take a lot of time to add up. We have to collect 73 thousand pints of blood a year to reach that need."

Blood donations are used to help accident victims, cancer and blood disorder patients and surgery recipients.

"People in hospitals who receive blood are people in your community … All of us are potential users of donated blood," Lutjen said.

The VT Red Cross Club and APO service fraternity will sponsor a blood drive in Squires Commonwealth Ballroom on Jan. 23, 24 and 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"A lot of people will say they are afraid of needles or don't have time, but once a person does it, they walk away realizing they saved lives," Moran said.