Saddleback College doing their part to help save lives

Bone marrow and blood drive serves as way for staff and students to give back.

T-Shirt and sticker given to donors (Bailey Bourque/Lariat)

The Saddleback College Alpha Sigma Gamma Honor Society along with Hoag Hospital and The San Diego Blood Bank held a blood and bone marrow drive in the Student Services Center 212 this past week. 

Starting right at 9am on Tuesday morning after Labor Day weekend till 3pm every day until Thursday. The manager of the Southern California and L.A. County division, Sara Lopez and her team were there to do screenings and receive donation. There were as well as student volunteers to help donators with check-ins.   

There were plenty of volunteers and staff from the hospital the drive was prepared for the number of donors coming in. The three day drive saw many students and staff alike walking in and out of the doors in the SSC.   

“Day One, which was Tuesday we had 30 people,” said Lopez. “Yesterday (Wednesday) approximately 25, and so far probably about 15 today (Thursday at Noon).”  

As soon as donors set foot in the donation center in the Student Service Center they were greeted by student volunteers. Maiken Sorenson, one of the students volunteers from the Saddleback Alpha Sigma Gamma Honor Society along with her fellow members of the ASG took shifts and were all excited and ready to do their part.  

“I really want give back to the community,” said Sorenson. “So this is a great way of doing that.”  

Students were not just there to volunteer as many came to donate and help do their own way of contributing to society and the greater good. Kayla Bourque a second year student at Saddleback was just one of the many donors.   

“People have been coming in and out the whole time that I’ve been here,” said Bourque.  

Testing, screening and overall donations took just about an hour for the entire process. Donors coming in and out throughout the entire drive to give time and donations to the cause.  

“They were super nice and accommodating,” Bourque said. “It felt like a very nice, safe, and friendly environment.”  

Taking time out of their busy day at school or work was a huge help towards Hoag Hospital and the San Diego Blood Bank. Students felt very relieved by the politeness and professionalism of the staff there.   

The center had four tables ready for donors to draw blood and the bone morrow registration was in the back of the room. All stations were staffed up with nurses ready to take on the next volunteer ready to give back to their community.  All the donors received a free t-shirt, a sticker, wristbands and other little items as a sign of gratitude for the contribution to their cause.   

The larger amount of donations came at the end of most days as that was the when the most people on campus were done with their classes and workday. The staff was ready for any rush and spike in donors especially on Thursday with it being the last day for people to make their contribution.  

Donations did not come with any irregularity as steady streams of donors flowed through the doors as the drive continued. Students and staff going in and doing what they could do to help out for this cause ceased to end until the three day event had ended. People from all majors and professions on campus coming together to do give back to their community and helping people that really need it. Busy schedules and all sorts of other things going on and giving time out of that busy day proves as a challenge that these people were willing to conquer for the greater good of their community. 

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