Blood Drive Helps Student/Athletes Save Lives

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/02/13)—The Concordia Athletic Department hosted their first-ever blood drive on Tuesday and nearly 100 people showed up to donate blood and help save lives. The event was coordinated by assistant football coach Brian Mistro.

Mistro, who helped organize a similar event while he was at Northern State, said the goal of the blood drive was to get athletes and members of the Concordia community involved in making a difference in the effort to help with area blood banks. "It's a great way for Concordia student/athletes and students in general to do something that is very easy and makes such a huge difference," said Mistro. "We started out just recruiting student/athletes but decided that it would be nice for the whole college to have the chance to help out."

Over 85 people had already registered for the vent that took place on Tuesday and Mistro was hoping to have a few more people just "walk up" after seeing all the blood donation signs and advertisement.

Mistro also included some "face-to-face" tactics to help with getting volunteers signed up for the event. In addition to the social media requests, he also went to the Concordia student center and talked to anyone who passed by the table they set up in the Centrum. "We got a lot of people to volunteer just by talking with them and letting them know they were really needed."
        
The event was staffed by the United Blood Services in Fargo. The athletics department blood drive was a part of the "Find the hero in you" campaign put on by the United Blood Services. United Blood Services meet the needs of patients in the 18 states they serve by collecting a safe and ample supply of more than 1 million units of red blood cells. It is estimated that one donation of blood can save up to three people and that more than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day.

"Brian (Mistro) did an incredible job organizing this event," said head football coach Terry Horan. "His enthusiasm helped bring in the students from, not just the athletic department, but all over the campus. His willingness to volunteer with this community project is a great role model for our student/athletes."

Seeing the success of this year's blood drive Mistro said he was hoping that the athletic department could make this volunteer opportunity an annual event.