The Campus Center at De Anza College hosted an annual blood drive on Oct. 8 in partnership with the Stanford Blood Center. Conference Rooms A and B were turned into donation areas for participants.
The event aimed to remind students and staff of the importance of giving blood and supporting local hospitals. The atmosphere remained calm and welcoming throughout the day. Snacks, drinks and pins were given out to donors as a show of appreciation.
Donor Micheal McDonnell, 55, heard about the event through his doctor.
“The doctor gave me a couple of email addresses where I could go. Most of them were in San Jose for the Red Cross but I wanted something closer. That’s what made me come here,” McDonnell said.
McDonnell added that donating blood is a simple but meaningful act.
“I just think it’s so easy,” McDonnell said. “You just give it and they can use it for testing and use it for times of emergency. And you can find out if there’s something wrong with you.”
According to some volunteers, the turnout hasn’t been the same since the pandemic. One volunteer mentioned that before COVID, the event used to be so busy they needed two volunteer shifts to keep up.
“It’s probably because a lot of classes are still online,” the volunteer said, “so fewer students are actually spending time on campus.”
Despite the slower pace, the drive still managed to draw in a steady stream of donors — many of whom were donating for the very first time.
First-time donors were given special stickers to mark the occasion, and those who registered online also received a $10 gift card that could be used in various places. The mix of participants reflected the diversity of the campus community — from first-year students to faculty members, and even one visually impaired donor who came in determined to contribute.
Volunteers said the Stanford Blood Center hosts these drives at least once every quarter, with the next one already planned for January.
