NOVA student Roz Schaufele donates blood with the help of Red Cross worker Suzanne Fantigrossi at the Woodbridge campus blood drive Feb. 4. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Of the 38 percent of the population eligible to give blood, only 5 percent do so, according to the INOVA Blood Donor Services fact sheet. That leaves a huge gap between the number of people who need blood, and the number of people donating it. Does this mean we should demand that those 5 percent go out and give blood over and over until creating a legion of blood-deprived walking dead? No, it doesn’t. It means that we should all go out and donate blood at the blood drive that the NOVA Student Government Association is co-sponsoring with INOVA Blood Donor Services Oct. 25 on the Alexandria campus in room 158 of the Bisdorf Building. Since the blood drive is being held so close to Halloween, free Halloween t-shirts will be handed out to those who donate blood. According to the marketing manager at Blood Donor Services, Melanie Allen, to be eligible to give blood one must be at least 17 years of age, or 16 with a parental or guardian form signed. Donors must also weigh at least 110 pounds and healthy on the day of donation. It is also advised to eat a good meal and hydrate beforehand.

After the loss of some of your more precious bodily fluids, such advice is only to be expected. If you are able to give blood, e-mail Sadia at student.activities.npva.al@gmail.com with the following information: your name, preferred appointment time, phone number and e-mail address.

According to a mass e-mail sent out by Patricia Gordon, appointments will be scheduled every 15 minutes beginning at 10 a.m. through the last appointments at 3 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted on a space-available basis on the day of the blood drive.

For more information, call Donor Advocate Pat Freeman at 571-434-3628.

So consider saving a life by giving blood (hopefully your own), on Oct. 25. The following blood types are being accepted: A, B, AB and O. Vampire and zombie blood are not being taken at this time.

By: Ashley Strobridge

Stay updated by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.