NCC Hosts Community Blood Drive

On Thursday, in the middle of the bustling campus, students and faculty took time out of their busy schedules to make a blood donation for 's Blood Bank. This blood drive was sponsored by the NCC Engineering Club and allowed NUMC staff to get a new stock of vital blood for their ever-dwindling supply.

"The engineering society does this blood drive twice a year as one of our community service projects," Christopher Zebuda, a professor at NCC and advisor for the Engineering Society, said. "It helps out the Nassau County Medical Center because they are always running low in their blood bank. It also helps get us out there and tell the community we are here to help them. "

Students filtered in throughout the afternoon to make the important donation and were meet with friendly faces from the NUMC Blood Center staff.

Zebuda explained that the turn out "this morning was pretty good, it slowed down in the early afternoon but picked up by the end. We usually do about 120 pints during our blood drives."

NUMC had stretchers set up all along the room ready for anyone, whether it be a student, teacher or community member who wanted to donate. Many of the stretchers were being continuously filled with donors.

"We are here doing a blood drive with the students and faculty. They are one of our wonderful groups that donate all of the time and we really depend a lot on that," Janet Freedman, Nurse Manager in the Blood Donor Center at NUMC, said. "We have a whole set up with the engineering department at NCC and Dr. Arthur Friedman, who coordinates drives 6 times a year."

"I have been organizing blood drives for over 45 years. The students who come are excited to do and become great donors," Dr. Friedman, Coordinator of Distance Education and Chair of the NCC Blood Drive Task Force, said. "All of the donors are treated very well by the superb staff from NUMC. When they have a big group here, they just continue working. They are very few complications when this team is taking bloods and we try to make it an enjoyable activity. We want to make sure that they will come back again."

The NCC Engineering Club provided a spread of food so that donors could recuperate after and enjoy a little down time before returning to their classes or other activities. Those who participated in this drive seemed excited to help support a good cause.

"I have been donating blood since high school so I always do it," Brooke O'Connell of Westbury said. She has tried to participate in all of the blood drives that Nassau Community College holds.

Nassau Community College holds bloods drives approximately every two months in conjunction with the NUMC Blood Center. The next blood drive is scheduled to take place in January.