Seated, front: Suzanne Baly, a senior secretary in Weill Cornell's Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Jasmine Castro (seated, rear), an administrative assistant in Weill Cornell's Institute of Genetic Medicine, give blood at the Blood Drive and Minority Bone Marrow Drive held at Olin Hall Gym on Feb. 4. The staff shown are from the New York Blood Center.
A Blood Drive and Minority Bone Marrow Drive was held on Feb. 4 in Weill Cornell's Olin Hall Gym to encourage volunteer donors from underrepresented ethnic groups—African-Americans, Native Americans, South Asians, Asians, Pacific-Islanders, Hispanics and Latinos—to give samples of blood and thus "save a life!"
The event was sponsored and organized by several student organizations, including Weill Cornell Medical College's Office of Community Service; Boricua and Latino Health Organization (BLHO); South Asian Medically Oriented Student Association (SAMOSA); Student National Medical Association (SNMA); and Students of Equal Opportunity in Medicine (SEOM). The New York Blood Center was also a sponsor of the event.
The blood drive alone garnered 62 blood donors, with only 50 donors expected. The bone marrow drive also fared extremely well, with 60 donors supporting the event, more than twice the number expected. Student organizers are hopeful for an even better turnout in the fall.