One pint of blood can save three lives

One pint of blood to save three lives is not a bad tradeoff.
That’s the message Plaza College delivered to its students and faculty to encourage them to donate blood at the college’s second annual blood drive.
The drive was held on Thursday, July 21 at the college’s lower level, located at 74-09 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights. The entire neighborhood was invited to donate.
“It is wonderful that the students are branching out,” said Lin Loffert, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs at Plaza. “Part of my mission is to really expose them to doing things for the community. Now they are really doing something to give back, which is special, and I think this means the world to them.”
Loffert, who organized the blood drive, donated along with her husband, an English professor at Plaza. The donations will be sent to hospitals across the New York Metropolitan area.
At Plaza’s inaugural blood drive last year, the college collected 80 pints of blood, surpassing their goal of 70. This year, however, Plaza received 85 pints, falling short of the 100 they hoped would be donated.
Despite failing to reach triple digits, Bill Mardavich, a donor recruiter for the New York Blood Center, said it was a “no-brainer” to come back to Plaza. He believes blood drives could be held at the college for years to come.
The event, which lasted eight hours, saw 83 students, faculty members and neighborhood residents donate blood. For many, the ability to positively impact a life was the only incentive necessary.
“My mother has received donated blood before,” said Daniel Fernandez, a medical assistant major at Plaza and a first-time donor. “I figured why not donate blood myself to help others the same way people helped my mom. It means a lot to me that I could help another life, and I understand that it will save someone else’s mother, father, sister or brother and allow them to continue on with their lives.”
While Loffert admits she is slightly disappointed the drive did not reach its projected mark, she is thrilled the students and community were able to combine their efforts towards a common goal.
“I’m thankful beyond words to the students and the neighborhood for donating,” she said. “This community always rises to the occasion.”