REMS to hold blood drive in Moody Center for Arts Nov. 14
Rice Emergency Medical Services will host a blood drive in collaboration with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center at the Moody Center for the Arts as part of Collegiate EMS Week Nov. 14. This blood drive will last from noon to 6 p.m. with walk-ins welcome until 5 p.m.
REMS Director Lisa Basgall said Rice has hosted many blood drives in the past and will continue to do so.
“Rice EMS has hosted a number of blood drives over the past few years and plans to continue to offer these drives a couple times a year to support this life-saving effort,” Basgall wrote in an email to the Thresher.
Elizabeth Pan, REMS InCharge and CPR/Community Outreach lieutenant, said this blood drive is one of many organized in collaboration with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center.
“The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center brings all the equipment, snacks and drinks needed to make a blood drive successful,” Pan, a Sid Richardson College junior, said. “They just need the location and that is how we collaborate.”
REMS duty crew member Nancy Johnson, who is volunteering for the upcoming blood drive, said she was inspired by the previous blood drive held in the O’Connor building and hopes to continue to be part of the cause.
“It was so inspiring to see so many Rice students stopping in the middle of their days to give [blood],” Johnson, a Duncan College sophomore, said. “Seeing the whole place filled with people and knowing it was going towards a good cause was just so ‘culture of care.’”
Johnson said she is looking forward to volunteering again for the upcoming blood drive.
“I really enjoyed interacting with people and getting to know why they donated,” Johnson said.
REMS has seen greater interest than originally expected for the upcoming blood drive. Basgall said the blood drive always starts with an estimated number of spots and adjusts based on sign-up numbers.
“We are fortunate to have many interested donors on campus, and this drive, like the previous several drives, was able to be adjusted up,” Basgall wrote.
According to Pan, there are approximately 175 people registered to donate, filling all of the appointment slots, though walk-ins are welcome until 5 p.m.
Johnson said donating blood is important as there is no substitute for blood.
“When you give [blood], you’re giving people another chance at life,” Johnson said. “Being close to the [Texas] Medical Center, you know [the blood] is going to people you might know and people in your community.”
Basgall said she is grateful for the many donors in the Rice community who routinely show up and the first-time donors who are stepping up.
“Each donation is valuable and can really make a difference in each patient’s life,” Basgall wrote.
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