Marina Gaytan / The Collegian

A new campus record was set after 773 donors gave 602 pints of blood at the first blood drive of the year on Sept. 23-24 at California State University, Fresno.

The donated blood can potentially help more than 1800 patients in need.

Special events and projects coordinator Renee Delport, who organizes the blood drives on campus, said that the second blood drive of the year is a marketing project for the marketing 100S students.

“The September blood drive is record setting because it was the largest number of donors that we have had that is not a marketing project,” Delport said.

Overall, the record for the largest blood drive on campus was last November, with 845 donors.

Delport said for record tracking purposes the program takes into account how many people attempted to donate blood, rather and not the actual amount of people who were able to give blood.

According to the Central California Blood Center Web site, nearly 75 percent of Americans who reach 72-years-old will need blood sometime in their life. Ninety-seven percent of Americans will have a family member or friend who will need blood to save his or her life.

Women have approximately 10 pints of blood in their body and men have 12 and after donating blood. Fluid will be replenished in the body within 24 hours, according the Web site.

“If we’re not donating it, the patients aren’t getting it. It’s literally saving lives when we donate,” Delport said.

Delport believes college isn’t just about getting a degree, but it’s about giving back to the community. She said giving blood is a great opportunity to do so, especially for those who have never done community service before.

“So often we hear about college students and their parties and drinking, we don’t hear enough about the students that are doing a lot of good,” Delport said.

“I think the Twinkies and the Ho Hos are always a big help to get people there,” Delport said.

For students like sophomore Leah Rath, fear keeps them from donating blood. Rath donated for the first time at the drive in September at Fresno State after realizing how important giving blood can be.

“I was told that my donation could save up to 3 lives. After hearing that, there was simply no way I could walk past another mobile without giving blood,” Rath said.

Rath works at the Jan and Bud Richter Center and she said that the people there knew she was scared to give blood so one of her coworkers went with her to give blood.

She said that the 15 minutes of being uncomfortable and scared is worth the lives that would be saved.

Rath carries her card in her wallet that has the date she can give blood again and plans to donate at the next blood drive on campus.

“I think it’s very important not to forget that today you may be an able-bodied donor, but tomorrow you may very well be the one in need,” Rath said.

The next on-campus blood drive will take place Nov. 17-18. All blood drives are held in the Residence Dining Hall, University Student Union, Peter’s Business Building, and Kremen School of Education.

For more information contact Renee Delport at (559) 278-7063 or go to the Web site at http://www.csufresno.edu/cesl/blooddrive/index.shtml.