Letter to the Editor: The time to give

To the Editor:

Penn has long been a supporter of American Red Cross blood drives, and currently our support is more valued than ever. Recently the flu has spread across Penn and the region, resulting in a shortage of 1,600 blood donations. Hospitals must maintain supplies of all blood types, yet February 14th's Blood Supply Update reported as little as a single day's supply of certain blood types at local hospitals.

The vast majority of Penn students are eligible to give blood and can do so right here on campus. Each donation can help save up to three lives and will be used by local hospitals. Since human blood has a short shelf life, the supply must be constantly replenished to cover both everyday and emergency needs.

The process of donating blood is fast, safe and not very painful. Donations take about an hour, including a mini checkup, donation and free juice and cookies. Although there are FDA-mandated restrictions for donating blood, students should check to see if they are eligible because certain travel restrictions have recently changed. Eligible persons can donate every 56 days, making life-saving a regular habit.

Penn hosts about 15 blood drives each semester, and in all cases the entire Penn community is invited. The next drives are Tuesday, Feb. 22 and Wednesday Feb. 23. All upcoming blood drives are listed at penn.givesblood.org, where it is easy to sign up for an appointment to shorten your wait time.

With the region's blood supply at a critical low, it is extremely important for new and returning donors find a Penn drive and donate. If you are not eligible, please help the Red Cross Club by volunteering at a blood drive or recruiting donors. Donating blood is easy and it saves lives, so please sign up to give blood today!

Brian Keller

Engineering '06

Jessica Lahrmann

College '06

The authors are co-presidents of the Penn American Red Cross Club

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