Allen Cox, sophomore mathematics major (right), and Matt Lawson, senior athletic training major, sit while donating blood yesterday during the LifeShare organization’s blood drive. Bloodmobiles were set up outside the DeWeese Health Center for six hours t

Credit: Carl Schierhorn

What do beads, burritos, boxers and blood have in common? Give blood and reap the rewards.

Students came to the DeWeese Health Center yesterday in support of LifeShare Community Blood Services, a non-profit organization serving Northeast Ohio, to help someone in need and defray the cost of school for fellow students.

Every 35 donations collected on a college campus yields one $500 scholarship, said event co-coordinator Allison Bruce.

Two recreational vehicles parked outside the Health Center served as bloodmobiles.

Donors who gave blood received a LifeShare T-shirt, a key chain and a coupon for a free burrito at Chipotle, as well as a free seat at the sweets table.

Third-time donors received boxer shorts with the Lifeshare logo on the front and ‘Extreme Donor’ on the back.

Bruce’s coordinating cohort, Sarah Hallsky, graduate assistant in the Office of Health Promotion, said the benefits of donating are exponential.

“You’re saving lives,” she said.

Kirsten Minich, sophomore interior design major, said since her mother received a blood transfusion a few years ago, she has been giving blood. She said now she donates regularly.

“I get satisfaction from donating blood,” Minich said. “And I get Chipotle.”

As of yesterday, donor recruitment representative Diane Van Tilburg said LifeShare is on critical appeal for blood, which means it has less than one day’s supply. LifeShare’s objective is to collect blood through donations to sustain Ohio hospitals’ blood supply.

“If you want your blood to stay in Ohio, donate with us,” Van Tilburg said. “We ship to over 35 hospitals.

“The scholarship is our way of giving back to the students,” she said. “We just need students to come out. I’ve got 75 T-shirts, and I’d like to give them all away.”

At 2:20 p.m., one student gained an opportunity to receive a LifeShare scholarship as the organization reached 35 donors.

“Lifeshare relies on support from college campuses to touch the lives of those critically in need of blood services,” Bruce said. “It’s a constant recruitment process because we have to find donors all the time.”

Contact safety reporter Michael Lewis at [email protected].