Blood drive fundraises for IUDM

Sophomore Jamie Richardson had never donated blood before Wednesday.

The phlebotomist in a white lab coat tied a blue rubber coband around Richardson’s arm.

“It’s nerve-wracking because I don’t know what the next step is or anything,” said Richardson, who is participating in IU Dance Marathon for the first time this year.

“Next time, you will,” the technician replied.

“Next time, I will,” Richardson said. “I’m nervous, but not too affected by it.”

On Tuesday, IU Dance Marathon kicked off its three-day “Raise Your Sleeve for Riley” blood drive, one of several events preceding IUDM.

IUDM paired with the Indiana Blood Center for the event, which continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in the Indiana Memorial Union Georgian Room.

This year marks the 21st IUDM. The annual event, which raises money for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, will be Nov. 4 to 6. Participants raise funds leading up to the marathon and then have the option to dance for 36 hours straight.

Last year’s marathon raised $1.6 million for Riley.

Although the dance marathon has had bone marrow drives in previous years, this is the first time the partnership has asked students to donate blood.

“We just thought it was a really good opportunity because we always raise money for Riley,” said Maddie Lubbers, IUDM vice president of event coordination.

“It just makes sense for us to allow people to donate blood because that goes directly to the hospital, as well. So you’re even more directly affecting the lives of children by giving blood than you are by giving money.”

Indiana Blood Center had a donor point system in place prior to “Raise Your Sleeve for Riley” in which people accrued points for every donation. Those points could later be redeemed for rewards such as baseball caps, T-shirts and gift cards.

For this blood drive, IBC allowed donors the option of redeeming their points in the form of a monetary donation to Riley.

“The donors will go online, and they will be able to gift back their points, which translate to money for Dance Marathon and for Riley,” said Magon Works, IBC field representative.

Lubbers described it as a “win-win-win situation.”

Richardson said donating blood was an easy way to help Riley.

“It’s something I can do, and it’s an accessible way, an easy way, to help,” she said. “It makes it easy for us to support the cause.”

Works said the blood drive will probably bring in about 500 pints of blood during the three days, which has the potential to affect 1,500 Hoosier lives, she said.

“The IUDM group and Indiana Blood Center, we kind of share the mission that we want to support Riley, whether it be through blood or money, so that’s kind of the basis,” Works said. “It’s just a simple, shared mission.”