Donate blood Jan. 22-23 and you could save a life, win a scholarship

Sarah Allen participates in the Mississippi Blood Services blood drive at Mississippi College to potentially help save a life.

As a universal donor, Sarah Allen understands the importance of giving blood at every opportunity. The director of accessibility services in the Office of Student Success at Mississippi College donates at least three times each year.

It wasn’t until one of her best friends required a blood transfusion during the birth of her son that Allen fully comprehended the lifesaving power of blood donations.

Allen participated in the Mississippi Blood Services drive on the Clinton campus last fall after joining the staff at Mississippi College last May. “I wanted to assist with the amount of blood MBS has in its bank,” she said.

Allen’s favorite part of donating blood is “knowing that I potentially helped save a life.”

MC students, faculty and staff can experience that feeling – and help Mississippi College outperform two rival universities – by participating in the first of two MBS spring blood drives. A donor coach will be parked in front of the B.C. Rogers Student Center from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, Jan. 22-23, to accept donations.

The names of eligible MC students who donate blood during the drive will go into a drawing for a scholarship during the Community Bank College Scholarship Blood Bowl. The value of the scholarship is $250, but it would increase to $1,000 if Mississippi College participants donate more units than MBS collects from Millsaps College or Belhaven University during a similar period.

Kasey Dickson, MBS marketing representative, said her organization is in critical need of blood.

“The cold weather across the state has had a critical impact on the current blood supply,” Dickson said. “We are at a dangerously low level and have less than one day’s supply left on our shelves.

“We’re asking all eligible donors to participate in the blood drive at MC and help Mississippi patients in need.”

Healthy individuals at least 17 years of age who weigh at least 110 pounds are eligible to participate in the drive. Red blood cells are the most needed of all blood components, so individuals may be asked to make an automated donation of just red cells, which allows MBS to take twice as many in one sitting.

The blood donation process is simple and takes less than an hour. MBS representatives administer a short medical questionnaire and take the donor’s vital signs before the actual donation. To save time, donors can complete a questionnaire online before reporting to the donor coach.

All eligible donors will receive a $15 VISA card.

For more information about the Community Bank College Scholarship Blood Bowl, visit https://msblood.com/community-bank-scholarship-collegiate-copy-2/.