Blood drive pits frats, sororities against each other

Members of the Bloomington community will gather this week in the Main Library to participate in the second-annual Fraternity vs. Sorority Blood Challenge. The event was organized by IU's Panhellenic Association and the American Red Cross in response to a critical need for blood in the River Valley Region.\nThe River Valley Blood Services Region supplies blood to 56 hospitals throughout Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. The RVR must collect 650 pints of blood each day in order to provide hospitals with sufficient amounts of blood for patients.\n"We don't have enough blood right now," said Michael Young, communications manager for the American Red Cross. "We have been operating at about a half day's supply of blood for the last ten days, and that is a critical level. We normally require a three day's supply to be considered safe."\nOn Jan. 12, the Red Cross issued a nationwide appeal for blood. Young said that a national appeal seriously impacts the RVR because when extra blood is needed in regional hospitals, there will be nowhere to import it from.\n"Hospitals are using more, and more blood, and we can't keep up with the demand," he said. "For us to keep up, we need to get donors faster than we could. We hope to get more donors than we had before."\nBloomington is one of the region's major metropolitan areas with a large student population to collect blood from. The blood challenge will continue through Thursday, beginning each day at 11 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Those who helped organize the event said they hope to reach their goal of at least 375 donors, which would exceed last year's turn out. \n"We don't want to give off the impression that this is exclusively a Greek event," said Rebecca Neale, vice president of programming for the Panhellenic Association. "We are hoping that members of the non-Greek community will come out and help us with this important community cause." \nNeale said she hopes the blood drive is successful and that a competitive spin on the blood drive might increase community involvement.\nThe men's chapters won the challenge at last year's blood drive. Whichever chapter has the most member involvement this year will be recognized -- their names will be placed on a plaque that will hang near the student activities desk in the Indiana Memorial Union.\nJay Kinney, chairman of Philanthropy for the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, said he anticipates many members of his house will participate in the event. There are at least 20 individuals planning to donate their blood and 10 to 15 others who are volunteering. \n"One of our brothers could need blood one day," Kinney said. "We decided, as a house, the event was important."\nDonors must be 17-years-old and weigh at least 110 pounds. They should also bring a valid I.D with them when they donate. Young said people who have the flu will not be able to give blood until they are in good health. He also said live operators will be answering the hotline (1-800-GIVE-LIFE) from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and will answer any questions people may have about where and how they can donate blood.\n-- Contact staff writer Lindsay Lyon at lrlyon@indiana.edu.