The third annual West Virginia University Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer Blood Drive will help to save as many as 240 lives in West Virginia and the surrounding region in the next year.

Hosted by 2012 winners Byron Patterson and Hilah Zia in partnership with the American Red Cross, Mountaineer Maniacs, and the Sigma Nu fraternity, the blood drive will require at least 100 individuals to donate on Nov. 28 from 1-7 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.

“The American Red Cross serves a huge role in our nation by providing aid to many citizens every day. With the recent storm, many donation drives were canceled and the need for blood has increased,” said Zia, a public administration graduate student from Morgantown. “It’s critical that Mountaineers come out Nov. 28 to donate and support the Red Cross.”

Adam Reaves, representative with the Greater Alleghenies Blood Services Region, said all donations will serve 90 hospitals in 100 counties across Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

“The American Red Cross thanks those who came out to donate following the impact of Hurricane Sandy,” Reaves said. “It’s important to note that the need for blood donations continues in order to help those to meet the needs of accident victims, cancer patients and children with blood disorders. It is the blood on the shelves that helps save lives for those who require blood transfusions as part of their medical treatment.”

Volunteers can sign up to donate blood at informational booth in the Mountainlair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday (Nov. 13-15) and Nov. 27.

Donations can also be scheduled online via http://redcrossblood.org. The blood drive is open to the public.

“Students need to get out to donate blood, because of the massive need there constantly is for blood. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. The average transfusion requires three pints and in one donation a person can give one pint,” said Patterson, a senior mechanical and aerospace engineering major from Upper Black Eddy, Pa. “We, as healthy students and members of society, need to give, because there may be a time that we need to rely on the generosity of others. Get out and give at the next blood drive.”

-WVU-

td/11/12/12

CONTACT: Sonja Wilson, WVU Senior Programming Administrator
304-293-2702, Sonja.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu

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