By Kailee Dunn
Giving blood has the potential to save three lives every time.
“[The blood] gets divided into three different components, the platelets, the plasma and the red blood cells. So, one unit could potentially save three lives, depending on the recipients’ needs,” said Row Peters, Inland Northwest Blood Center’s Territory Manager and EWU alumna.
The College Assisted Migrant Program or CAMP held their annual Cesar Chavez Challenge Blood Drive on March 13 in the PUB MPR.
According to CAMP member and blood drive coordinator Jacqueline Cruz, students all over the country take part in the Cesar Chavez Challenge.
“Over 250 universities are participating in the challenge,” Cruz said.
Cesar Chavez was a leader in promoting equality for Hispanics through community service.
“It’s kind of like we’re trying to commemorate Cesar Chavez and his example on how he promoted equal rights. He is a historical figure for Hispanics and we’re kind of trying to follow his example with community involvement, like self-sacrifice and giving blood,” she said.
Peters said she was excited to partner with CAMP to make this event possible.
“It’s a big campaign to raise awareness for migrant workers, such as Cesar Chavez did in his lifetime. It’s a national campaign where students can compete for scholarships based on their goals,” said Peters.
Scholarships are based off of the percentage of donors and how it compares to the original goal. The set goals include categories such as registered donors, actual donors, first time donors and Hispanic or Latino donors.
After the event, Peters said there were 104 procedures performed and 131 products collected.
The blood drive was also dedicated in memory of Ashley Gonzalez and Nancy Zepeda Zarate, the two EWU students who lost their lives on Feb. 21.
CAMP volunteer Irvin Mendoza, who knew the two girls, said they were involved in a lot, including CAMP.
One of the donors, Alexis Mulalley, said one of the reason she decided to donate was because she knew both Gonzalez and Zarate.
“I’m just here to support. I don’t need all [the blood],” said Mullalley.
“It’s something my mom and I have always done. She’s an EMT firefighter, so I’ve been able to see first hand how much it’s needed,” Mullalley said, who tries to give at least three times every year.
According to Peters, The Inland Northwest Blood Center is the only blood bank close to the Spokane area, and they are always looking for donors.
“We have a 150-mile area radius around Spokane that we service. We have about 35 area hospitals and need 200 donors a day on average to supply that need,” said Peters.
For students who were unable to donate that day, Peters said the will be offering more blood drives in the future.
“We’re here almost monthly. Our next drive is in April, on April 30,” Peters said.
Students can also donate by visiting the Inland Northwest Blood Center.
“Students could also always call our center and check out the website. We have more information [about donating] on our website,” Peters said.
For more information on donating blood to the Inland Northwest Blood Center, call 800-423-0151, ext. 1, or visit inbcsaves.org.
