Original: March 8, 2011 Issue 12
By: Shelli Block
Staff Writer
Volunteer donors help the MC Red Cross Committee surpass its goals
The second Montgomery College Rockville campus blood drive was held Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Student Activities Centre. Sammi Gollub, president of the MC-R student Red Cross blood drive committee organizes the blood drives which are held four times a year: once in the fall, twice in the spring and once in the summer.
“Personally, I’m terrified of needles, I always felt guilty because I wanted to give blood but can’t bring myself to do it,” Ms. Gollub confessed. She continued, “If I encourage other people to do it and make sure things run smoothly that compensates for it.”
One positive volunteer is Roger Marks. Sitting in the hallway adjacent to the SAC, Mr. Marks feels that giving blood is quite important.
Marks is an MC employee and volunteer firefighter who has been donating blood for 30 years. According to Marks, “My blood type is CMV negative, which only 20 percent of the population has. My blood is easily tolerable by the elderly and babies having only a small chance of side effects. “When asked if donating was painful he replied, “Once you’re past the needle stick, it’s just a matter of waiting it out.” He added, “The time it takes depends on how big or small your veins are and how fast your blood flows.”
Mobile unit manager Susannah Nunez Moralez comments that giving a pint of blood can save up to three lives. Turnaround time for blood processing is 24-48 hours. States Morales, “The most common types of blood are A+, and O+ , O negative is universal. We get all types on a daily basis.”
According to Moralez giving blood is rewarding and saves lives on a daily basis.
“We have a blood shortage. Give blood” she said,“Give the gift of life.”
Moralez has been with the Red Cross for 12 years. She is the manager of the mobile unit which is based in Baltimore and covers the DC, MD & VA area. Units work on a daily basis. According to Ms.Gollub, the (unofficial) count for the blood drive was approximately 48 donors which surpassed the goal of 44.