The West Virginia University Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer, Ryan Butler and Katlin Stinespring, will host the second Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer Blood Drive on Jan. 19.
The blood drive, which is in partnership with the American Red Cross and Mountaineer Maniacs, will require at least 100 individuals to donate from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.
Volunteers can sign up to donate blood at informational booths in the Mountainlair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 12, Jan. 17 and Jan. 18. Donations can also be scheduled online via http://redcrossblood.org. The blood drive is open to the public.
“Part of being a Mountaineer is service, and I can think of no better way to serve than by donating blood. Even if a person cannot donate blood, they can still volunteer to help run the drive,” said Butler, a senior math secondary education major from Clarksburg. “It’s a great feeling knowing that my blood can be used to help someone live another day.”
Adam Reaves, donor recruitment representative for the American Red Cross, said all donations will serve 90 hospitals in 100 counties across Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
“As members of the community, it is the responsibility of WVU students, faculty, staff and area residents to ensure that the needs of local hospitals are met,” Reaves said. “One donation can save up to three lives. Without local donors, the hospitals cannot keep blood stocked.”
The blood drive is just one of the opportunities given to Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer each year. Along with the blood drive, the winners have an opportunity to participate in “Dancing With Our Mountaineer Stars” in March.
“The blood drive is an opportunity to give back in a way that benefits local communities,” said Stinespring, a senior public relations major from Hurricane. “With a student body of this size and prolific community involvement in the university, WVU has the potential to make a substantial impact through donations.”
-WVU-
sw/01/09/12
CONTACT: Sonja Wilson, Mountaineer Senior Programming Administrator
304-293-2702, Sonja.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.