Notre Dame students, faculty and staff are giving back to the community at today's blood drive, organized by the Graduate Student Union and benefiting the South Bend Blood Bank.
This is the first time the GSU has sponsored a blood drive, but after the overwhelming response from the student body, it hopes for the drive to become tradition, said John Young, organizer of the blood drive and chair of the GSU's health care committee.
"The number of volunteers has been astounding. My inbox has been crammed every day for the past week, and I have needed to turn away about 50 or 60 potential donors because the most-coveted time slots filled quickly," Young said.
Only 50 donors were initially expected, but due to a strong showing of interest among members of the Notre Dame community, the South Bend Medical Foundation agreed to send another technician, bringing the number of filled appointments to 75.
Appointments are scheduled every 15 minutes, and the entire process lasts about one hour, Young said.
The blood drive, suggested to GSU president Martiqua Post by graduate student Harold Ernst, will take place today from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the LaFortune Ballroom.
