Pictured: Aliyah Harrison, Alpha Sigma Alpha member, donating blood.
Students and faculty at the University of Northern Colorado participated in the annual blood drive hosted by Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority on Tuesday at the University Center.
A total of 25 people attended and participated in the blood drive, including other Greek life organizations such as Delta Zeta, Alpha Phi and Sigma Kappa.
Alpha Sigma Alpha chose to host a blood drive to help with the blood shortage going on due to COVID-19.
Savannah Wilder, member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, was a volunteer at the blood drive.
“This is a really good way for us to help not only our community at UNC but everyone around the world who is in need of blood,” Wilder said.
Aliyah Harrison, member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, donated blood because she wanted to help and contribute to the blood shortage.
“I felt really good about it,” Harrison said. “Just being able to help people that can’t help themselves. I had a lot of blood to give.”
Kylee Been, president of Alpha Sigma Alpha, was the main organizer of this event along with the help of her Alpha Sigma Alpha sisters.
Alpha Sigma Alpha partnered with Vitalant to make the blood drive possible. Vitalant is a nonprofit transfusion medicine organization. It provides lifesaving blood and transfusion medicine services for hospitals across the United States.
This is the third year that Alpha Sigma Alpha hosted a blood drive on campus.
“It gives people an opportunity to donate,” Harrison said. “It’s easier to have the opportunity on campus. It’s more accessible.”
The blood drive raised national blood shortage awareness at UNC. Wilder said that advertising the blood drive on campus helped her reach out to people who don’t hear about it. The blood drive turned out to be a successful event.
The cause of the blood shortage is the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, medications were delayed for people in need of them. This then worsened major diseases that require blood. Blood donations decreased during summer due to people traveling. This year people were anxious to travel because they had been in quarantine or because of traveling with the COVID-19 safety guidelines, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Alpha Sigma Alpha was founded on November 15, 1901, in Farmville, Virginia at Longwood College. Its UNC chapter opened on Febuary 19, 1916. The colors that represent this sorority are crimson and pearl white. The Alpha Sigma Alpha symbols are a star, crown, palm tree and phoenix. They support three national philanthropies: Alpha Sigma Alpha foundation, girls on the run and Special Olympics. One of their philanthropies is local, which is the Weld County Food Bank. The Alpha Sigma Alpha chapter house is located at 1729 10th Avenue in Greeley.
“There was a lot of people that came, and I think the blood drive was really successful,” Harrison said.
