University students, administrators and Charlottesville community members rolled up their sleeves and donated blood at the second annual bone marrow and blood drive yesterday at the McCue Center.
Senior captain of the men's basketball team, Todd Billet, spearheaded the event. He said he modeled the drive after a similar project at Rutgers.
"I wanted to bring it here to give people the opportunity to register and understand the cause," Billet said.
Turnout this year exceeded last year's participation, he added.
"There has been tremendous effort and support," he said.
Virginia Athletics, the University Health System and Virginia Blood Services sponsored the blood drive.
Robert Larsen, director of marketing and program development at the University Health System, said the main goal of the drive was to find potential bone marrow matches for cancer and leukemia patients, in addition to simply boosting the overall blood supply.
"We're looking for quantity, not quality," Larsen said. "We want that one or two or three that might be a match."
Between 85 and 100 people participated in the bone marrow matching, Larsen added, estimating that an unusually large number of people donated blood.
"Participation has just been overwhelming," he said.
First-year College student Laura Wyker, who volunteers at the University Hospital, participated in the drive.
"It is exciting to know that I could help save a life," Wyker said. "It is an extra little thing we can do to help."
VBS spokesperson Nancy Dean said Virginia Blood Services sponsored the blood drive because of its close involvement with the central Virginia community.
"We are the sole provider of blood to the Charlottesville and central Virginia area," Dean said. "This event was a perfect fit."
The contribution of donated blood from VBS comprises 50 percent of the hospitals' blood supplies. The remaining 50 percent must be purchased elsewhere, demonstrating the need for more blood donors, Dean said.
Sylvia Wallace, head of the national marrow donor program at Virginia Blood Services, said it is imperative that more people register to donate bone marrow. A shortage in the bone marrow supply for minority populations is a particular concern, she said.
"There are always shortages in blood supply," Wallace said. "One unit of blood can save three lives."
Dean added blood donations are particularly important now because of a new bacterial testing for platelets. Platelets, the clotting factors in blood used to treat cancer patients, are fragile and can only last five days, Dean said.
The new test was instituted to provide a safer blood supply but it reduces the platelet life to four days, she said.
The central Virginia area needs 350 units of whole blood per day, Dean said. The Charlottesville area uses 100 of those units.
Dean said only 2.5 percent of African Americans donate blood, leading to a shortage in blood that can benefit sickle cell anemia patients.
African American's blood is biologically different from Caucasian blood, so it can better aid sickle cell patients, Dean said.
"African-American donors would really benefit their own culture, sisters and brothers" by donating blood, Dean said.
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