TAMIU Students Participating in National Blood Drive Challenge

Across the country, students on college campuses will take Cesar Chavez’s message of civic engagement to heart as they take on the National Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge. Seven colleges and universities in San Antonio, Laredo and Victoria will collect blood for the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC) in hopes of winning the national contest.

Last year, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) won first place, registering 158 people and collecting 135 units of blood. This year, organizers hope to beat that record.

“The blood drive is our major activity during the Farmworker Awareness Week; we not only inform people about the plight that Migrant workers face, but that by donating blood we can help save lives, sometimes even some of those workers’ lives,” said Dora Salinas, academic coordinator with TAMIU’s College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP).

Donations will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, March 30-31 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the University Green, 5201 University Boulevard.

Donors will need to present identification. It is recommended to eat and drink before and after donating. Anyone 16 years old weighing 120 pounds, with a parental consent form, or at least 17 years old weighing 110 pounds, and in good general health can donate blood.

MigrantStudents.org is sponsoring the challenge and motivating students to save lives through blood donation while increasing awareness of Cesar Chavez’s legacy as an American civic leader. Their goals also include increasing donor participation within the Hispanic/Latino community and awareness of health issues that plague the community such as diabetes.

The STBTC is communicating the need for Hispanic donors and raising awareness through Donar Sangre es Donar Vida, a community awareness campaign coupled with the Cesar Chavez Blood Drive Challenge. Learn more at southtexasblood.org/DonarSangre.asp

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu