Blood drive held at Washington State Community College

MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) - Washington State Community College is the site of a blood drive being hosted by freshman – and college credit plus student – Carleigh Spergin.

Spergin says that after giving blood for the first time and learning of the shortage that’s going on, she wanted to do something to help.

“The first time I donated blood was actually a couple months ago. And it’s just something that I’m really passionate about,” says Spergin.

In 2022, the American Red Cross found itself in a “critical state.” And although the blood supply has improved, officials say that it is still vital to keep donating.

“The need for blood is always great,” says American Red Cross account manager, Nick Sargent. “The Red Cross actually has to collect about 14 thousand units every day just to maintain the blood supply.”

Officials say that drives like the one on Wednesday are helpful as the event saw a strong turnout by those who signed up and walked in.

“Well, every drive helps,” says Sargent. “That cannot be discounted in any way. And the ones that come about from us partnering with students are some of the best drives that we have. They always end up with a great turnout and always do well.”

“When donating, you can just help out a lot. Like even just one unit of blood can save someone’s life,” says Spergin.

If you would like to donate blood for the American Red Cross, you can click this link to find out more.

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