The ISU Spring Blood Drive will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 28 – 31 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. The theme for this year’s drive is “B.Y.O.B.: Bring Your Own Blood.”

Ames is in serious need of blood donations from all blood type donors.

According to the Blood Center of Iowa, types O, B and AB negative are listed as critical needs, type A as urgent, and type AB positive as a general need.

After the severe storms earlier this winter, many blood drives were forced to cancel, leaving the blood supply at dangerously low levels.

Each year, approximately 14 million blood transfusions are given throughout the country and more than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day. Three thousand units of blood are needed each week to maintain an adequate blood supply locally.

Blood transfusions are also used to treat cancer patients, sickle cell patients and accident victims, and one out of every seven patients admitted to the hospital will need a blood transfusion. While nine out of every 10 people who live to age 70 will eventually receive a blood transfusion, only 10 percent actually donate annually, leaving the necessary blood supply extremely low, especially during instances of bad weather.

According to the Blood Center of Iowa, you are eligibile to donate blood if you:

• Are 16 years old or older
• Have normal blood pressure 
• Are in generally good health

Donors must wait a minimum of eight weeks between donations and may still donate if they recently received a tattoo, as long as it was performed in a licensed facility.

In addition to traditional whole-blood donation, interested donors also have the option of completing double red cell donation, apheresis platelet donation and autologous donations.

One blood donation has the potential to save three lives, according to the ISU Blood Drive website.

The ISU Blood Drive partners with the Blood Center of Iowa, the Southeast Iowa Blood Center and the American Red Cross to help those in need.

Questions can be directed to the blood drive co-directors, Emily Wade, senior in speech communication, Chelsea Anderson, junior in supply chain management, and Stuart Soorholtz, senior in mechanical engineering, at [email protected].