GOAL Program, dormitories host Red Cross blood drive on Friday

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GOAL Program, dormitories host Red Cross blood drive on Friday
The GOAL Program instagram page has featured students who have shared their stories about how blood drives have helped them or their family members. Hillsdale GOAL | Courtesy

Hillsdale College’s GOAL Program is taking to Instagram to share the stories of students who have been positively affected by blood drive donations throughout their lifetime in preparation for a recurrent blood drive this Friday.

Tomorrow, Nov. 9, the Red Cross Blood Drive will be set up in Grewcock Student Union from 11a.m. to 7p.m., with appointments taking place every fifteen minutes.

According to junior Sarah Becker, who leads the Community Health GOAL program, this is the first year the drive is being organized by the GOAL office, in partnership with the New Dorm and Simpson Dorm. The drive is usually sponsored by individual campus groups and led by Resident Assistants or fraternities. She said there are about 50 volunteers from the GOAL program and the two dormitories.   

In order to sign-up to be a donor, there is a table in the Union during meal times this whole week, including today. On the first day of sign-ups in the union, Becker said 30 to 40 people signed up during lunch. She said in the past, Hillsdale College has struggled with getting enough people to sign up to donate.

Over half of those who signed up on the first day have never donated blood before.

“I’ve actually never donated blood myself,” Becker said. “This will be my first time donating.”

She said the actual donation process takes only 8-10 minutes, with a small recovery period of sitting down at a table with a snack to ensure the donor is not feeling sick.

“Truthfully, the initial prick can be a little disturbing,” junior blood donor Kiara Freeman said. “If you don’t think about it too much, you’ll be okay.”

In addition to sign-ups during meal times, you can also sign-up online via the link: goo.gl/PXWHqU. Drop-in appointments are also available.