Baruch College’s Office of Health and Wellness and the New York Blood Center hosted a fall blood drive on Oct. 22 in the Newman Vertical Campus’ multipurpose room. While this drive is beneficial and convenient for students looking to donate blood, the OHW should have amplified their marketing to reach more of Baruch’s student body.
The “Ready Donor One” blood drive operated from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and accepted donors through scheduled appointments and walk-ins. The blood drive’s location and hours offered Baruch students an accessible way to donate, by eliminating the need to visit a separate location for blood donation and allowing students to select time slots that worked for them.
However, many students were not aware of the drive in the weeks leading up to it. Prior to the drive, printed flyers were distributed across bulletin boards throughout the NVC. The event was included in Baruch’s Student Life newsletters for three weeks leading up to the drive, which students receive in their Baruch emails every Friday.
The OHW also posted the flyer to their Instagram account. It was dated Oct. 16, six days before the drive took place.
Although the post informs students they can save up to three lives with a donation and receive a free beanie from the NYBC after donating, the infrequent advertisement of the event on Instagram and through newsletters ultimately did not convey the importance of the blood drive.
Currently, the NYBC is experiencing a blood shortage, facing the lowest inventory of type O blood since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. To encourage students to donate to this urgent cause, the blood drive should take precedence over other events the OHW is hosting and marketing around the same time.