American Red Cross Club at SEMO helps with current blood supply crisis

The American Red Cross Club at Southeast Missouri State University hosts multiple blood donation drives throughout the year including at the start of each semester, SEMO Homecoming and its Greek event occurring from March 27 to 30.

Kate Appleman, SEMO Red Cross Club president said the group has seen a good turnout from its recent events, including its most recent drive Wednesday.

"The drive at the beginning of the year is a little bit smaller, we usually have a 20 to 25 unit goal and it's a two-day drive. Then the homecoming drive this past year, which is a bit bigger, we had a goal of 200 and we got 199," Appleman said.

"We have one at the beginning of the school year for the spring semester, so that is the one we just had yesterday. We actually got 54 units out of the 41-unit goal, so that was really awesome."

The American Red Cross offers incentives to encourage students, staff, faculty and members of the community to be motivated to donate at the campus events including free shirts and food. Nationally, the organization is offering the opportunity for anyone who donates, within a certain period of time, to be entered into a drawing for tickets to Superbowl LVI on Feb. 13 in California.

The largest donation event the club hosts is the upcoming Greek event and it is expecting a large turnout, based on the previous year.

"So we have the big Greek week drive, that will be March 27 to March 30. It will be a huge one. Our goal is 975 units, but last year we got 1,011 units and I would love to beat that. Anywhere in that range would be amazing," Appleman said.

According to Cliff Numark, senior vice president at the American Red Cross, "only 3 out of 100 people give blood in the United States. That is simply not enough -- Every day kids battling cancer, accident victims being raced into the ER, and new moms facing complicated childbirths need lifesaving blood transfusions."

The American Red Cross Club at Southeast is trying to get as many first-time donors as it can so those students will continue to donate throughout their lives and the Greek event brings in the most.

The club was created a few years ago, and has received several awards for its work and achievements.

"In 2020, we received the Most Active Chapter and the Rookie Chapter," Appleman said. "We also got first place in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Region of the Red Cross, which is the largest region. And then in 2021, we were recognized as one of the outstanding collegiate chapters of the American Red Cross."

The next blood drive at Southeast will be March 27 to 30 and all individuals and blood types are encouraged to attend if they have not donated in the last 56 days and are not ill. For more information on SEMO's American Red Cross Club and information on upcoming blood drives, visit its Facebook page.