by Lauren McGuire, Student Public Relations Writer
On Good Friday, April 2, Cedarville University will host a Red Cross blood drive with the hope of yielding new plasma donors in the fight against COVID-19.
This spring’s blood drive will take place in the Stevens Student Center (SSC) event rooms 240 & 241, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register or volunteer, participants can visit RedCrossBlood.org (sponsor code: CU), call 1-800-RED CROSS or contact Emily Greenhouse, the drive organizer, at 925-984-0128.
Greenhouse, a junior nursing major from Danville, California, is hosting her second blood drive and is hopeful this drive will be influential for COVID patients. She has previously co-coordinated three blood drives through her exclusive internship with the Red Cross Collegiate Leadership Program.
“Planning this drive has had its challenges, but a few things are back to normal and I am confident that we’ll run another excellent drive,” said Greenhouse. “This semester, we are able to host it on the campus of Cedarville University rather than at an off-campus location. We are still maintaining all of our safety protocols, including checking temperatures at the door, allowing room for social distancing, wearing appropriate PPE, and sanitizing between each donation. The Red Cross staff does an incredible job of keeping donors safe.”
Free pocket-sized hand sanitizers and refreshments will be provided the day of the drive while supplies last. The Red Cross will also perform COVID-19 antibody testing on each blood donation, and donors will be notified if antibodies are detected, and the convalescent plasma will go to coronavirus patients in need of a transfusion. “In my opinion, this is one of the most impactful ways to give back to the community during a time like this,” explained Greenhouse
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,550 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, strong graduation, and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.