Cara Jones
palmettoreport@gmail.com

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Winthrop University hosted the OneBlood Big Red Bus, as students, faculty, and staff rolled up their sleeves to donate blood for people in need across the region.

Organizers say the winter months often bring a decrease in donations, making campus drives like this especially important.

Winthrop hosted the event Feb. 10-11 in the Margaret Nance parking lot, which brought donors from across the university community.

Volunteers guided donors through the registration and donation process, which included free health screenings. Small thank-you gifts were also provided after each donation.

“I donated to the blood supply, because I found out that I’m giving my blood helping other people, and I always wanted to make my way helping somebody,” said Anthony Johnson, who donated blood.

“It feels good being able to donate to a good cause and positively help someone’s life for the better, ” said Johnson. “I know if it was me in this situation, I would want somebody to help me.”

Event coordinators hope the drive not only strengthens the local blood supply, but also inspires first-time donors to keep giving in the future.

Organizers said February’s turnout shows how the Winthrop community can come together to make a real difference.

The Big Red Bus appears periodically on the Winthrop campus. The next blood drive is scheduled for April 21-22 at 10.a.m. in the Margret Nance parking lot.

OneBlood hosts blood drives across the Southeast, including in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Its mission is “saving lives by inspiring and educating our communities and team members to continuously champion blood donations and patient services to meet the never-ending need for a safe and ready blood supply,” according to the group’s website.