January 23, 2018
Quinita Thomas
Doing something good for the community can have a wide impact — even saving a life.
The Bethel Student Nursing Association will host Pint for Pint, a drive where students can donate their blood, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 26 in the main lobby of the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
The event is open to all students 18 or older to donate. All students will receive a voucher for a free drink at Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom, Rock Bottom Restaurant or Gordon Biersch Brewery.
The purpose of the blood drive is more than just a volunteer opportunity to get a free drink, according to junior nursing major Jessica Van Bueren.
“We have natural disasters in America and across the world. When those break out, it’s hard to maintain proper needs, so you can’t pay to donate blood; it’s only volunteerism,” she said.
“Since we are healthcare professionals, we’re trying to connect with our community members here in Colorado Springs to volunteer our time to local hospitals, or any natural disaster that occurs.”
As of Jan. 19, 13 people signed up to donate, but 30 slots are still available. Students can sign up as soon as the day before the event. According to Liz Lambert, marketing and communications specialist at the Bonfils Blood Center, UCCS hosts blood drives every year.
“We try to make it convenient for students,” said Lambert.
Bonfils Blood Center will offer the Pint for Pint promotion throughout January. Before students sign up to donate blood to Bonfils, they should be aware of the criteria that must be met in order to do so.
“They definitely recommend drinking water before donating because it takes about an hour,” said Van Bueren.
“If you’ve traveled out of the country or gotten sick, you will not be able to donate blood. We encourage our donors to visit the website ahead of time to check eligibility,” Lambert said.
January is National Blood Donor Month, so Bonfils is giving extra thanks to those who donate blood, said Lambert.
Students interested in reserving a time to donate can visit bonfils.org and reserve a time to donate by clicking on “Find a Location” under “Donate Blood” and entering site code A908.
For those who may miss Pint for Pint on Jan. 26, students can donate blood Feb. 13 – 15 in UC 116.