February 9, 2004

Weeklong Blood Drive Begins February 9

The African American Cultural Center will be the site of a weeklong blood drive from Monday, February 9 through Friday, February 13, from 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The drives will also include bone marrow testing on Tuesday, February 10 and Wednesday, February 11, which is free of charge to all UConn students and staff not previously enrolled with the National Marrow Donor Program registry.

Clear Channel Radio/Hartford will send its Hummer promotional vehicle each day of the drive.

Blood is in constant need by patients at Connecticut's 31 urgent care hospitals. The Red Cross and local hospitals are still trying to restore blood supplies, which have been chronically short since December.

The most recent blood shortage caused the postponement of at least four surgical procedures last month. UConn's blood drive is considered key to successfully rebuilding an adequate blood supply for sickle cell patients, accident victims, cancer patients, fire victims, and others.

Bone marrow and stem cell donors are needed to help people diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases, such as leukemia. The National Marrow Donor Program matches unrelated donors and patients on the basis of tissue type, an inherited characteristic. To enroll with the program, a single tube of blood is drawn (either as part of the blood donation process, or separately for non-blood donors), and preliminary tissue typing is placed in a national database of potential bone marrow and stem cell donors. This will take place during the UConn blood drive on Tuesday, February 10 and Wednesday, February 11. For further information, visit http://www.marrow.org.

Students, faculty, and staff who are 17 or older, weigh 110 pounds or more, and are in generally good health, are probably eligible to donate blood.

To register with the National Marrow Donor Program, you must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and in generally good health.

UConn students and employees may make an appointment to donate blood via e-mail at UConnBloodDrive@hotmail.com. Those wishing to volunteer for the blood drive may contact Jenny at jaylee1031@hotmail.com. UConn students, employees, along with members of the local community may also call 1.800.GIVE LIFE (1.800.448.3543) to make an appointment for this or any other blood drive in Connecticut. Appointments may also be requested through the website: http://www.bloodct.org.