News

Dakota College at Bottineau hosts blood drive on its campus

By Scott Wagar

11/04/2014

Dakota College at Bottineau hosted a public blood drive in association with United Blood Services and saw dozens of individuals at the college and in the community come forward to help others who need blood.

“I try to do at least one blood drive a year,” said Erin Williams, health service campus nurse at Dakota College at Bottineau, who organizes the blood drives at DCB. “But, this year I am going to try to have two.”

Williams stated that the additional blood drive on DCB’s campus is because the state of North Dakota has seen some decrease in donor participation. She added that with the increase in oil production in the state it has increased the need for more blood.

Travis Dressler, donor recruitment representative for United Blood Services in the central and northwest sections of North Dakota, stated that each day in the region he represents health facilities which utilize 500 units of blood a day. In order to keep these health facilities supplied, United Blood Services must recover those units of blood each and every day, which is no easy task.

For Williams, she has a good and responsible group of people who take the time to donate blood at DCB. On Tuesday, 28 donors signed up to give, while a number of individuals walked-in to give blood.

One donor in a blood drive can save three lives. With the individuals who came to DCB to donate blood, they could assist over a hundred people.

“Blood drives are needed,” Williams said. “And, I think it is an easy thing to do and you could save a life or help someone out.”