A year ago, Upstate medical students Yoni Kurland and Alyson Weiner found themselves giving blood at the same time during a drive at Upstate University Hospital.
They started kicking around an idea for a student-run blood drive on campus.
It’s happening Wednesday — noon to 5 in the Setnor Academic Building — and it’s part of a larger effort known as the Donor Initiative. It’s made up of students who work through Upstate’s Center for Civic Engagement, organizing drives on campus for blood donation, bone marrow donor registration and organ donor registration.
Alyson and Yoni, both second-year medical students, co-founded the initiative and are regular donors themselves.
“Students are interested in donating, but even a small hurdle can stop the best intentions,” Yoni said.
Surveying students to determine a convenient day and time got rid of one hurdle, and a quick online registration process took care of another, Alyson said.
To make an appointment Wednesday in Setnor, click here. Slots are filling up, but there will be a waiting list to replace any potential donors who don’t meet eligibility requirements. UPDATE: All slots are filled, but to be added to the waiting list, e-mail your cell phone number to upstateblooddrive@gmail.com.
The goal for Wednesday’s drive is 45 units. All types of blood are needed, Yoni and Alyson said, and units collected at Upstate help lower our hospital’s cost of buying blood for clinical needs.
The American Red Cross will staff the event, with help from medical students at the registration and refreshment tables.
Student volunteers are Amy DuFlo, Lauren Zagieboylo, Charlie Jiao, Anthony Paredes, Paolo Grenga, Paul Goodwin, Mary McGowan, Erica Brenner, Ali Stringham, Matt Wiese and Kevin Emr.
The Donor Initiative plans a bone marrow donor registration day in October (last year’s event netted 70 registrants), an organ donation registration day in November and possibly another blood drive in the spring.