USC Athletics partnered with the American Red Cross to launch a blood drive at Galen Center on Tuesday to help hospitals maintain a healthy supply of blood during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to associate athletic director Hatcher Parnell, who oversees operations and game management, the blood drive reached its goal of 130 blood donors. Parnell hopes its blood drive will pave the way for future USC community outreach efforts during the pandemic.
“The ‘Fight On’ spirit that everyone's exhibiting right now is phenomenal. And we're having a good time seeing people show up,” Parnell said in a Zoom interview with Annenberg Media. “People signed up very quickly. We filled our space. I'm probably sure if we did another [blood drive] tomorrow, we could probably fill that one up as well.”
USC Athletics, which canceled the remainder of its spring athletic season due to COVID-19, marks the blood drive as the “most important game of the year.”
“This is the most important game of the year at the Galen Center. The Red Cross really needs our help,” said USC athletic director Mike Bohn in a statement. “Blood donors are heroes to hospital patients who depend on these donations to survive. I'm calling on healthy Trojans and everyone to step up and help the Red Cross 'Fight On' through this pandemic."
“This [blood drive] is much bigger than sports,” Parnell said.
Due to the high risk of COVID-19 infection, precautions such as having donors doing a temperature check and mini-physical were taken. The Red Cross enforced social distancing, keeping all the donor beds separated, as well as disinfected each bed after use. Additionally, the Red Cross implemented other safety procedures, such as the use of personal protective equipment for their employees, according to the statement.
The blood drive is crucial during a pandemic due to the perishable nature of blood. Without a steady supply of blood, individuals who are injured during accidents or suffer medical deficiencies are more prone to going untreated. With that in mind, Tuesday’s blood drive aimed to ensure the health of the community.
“President Folt, our athletic director and the senior leadership team realize the critical needs for blood, especially in the time with COVID-19. And we're happy to serve and help any way we can,” Parnell said.
Other types of USC community outreach efforts include renegotiating childcare benefits for employees and families, distributing free face-coverings to USC employees and supporting small businesses through emergency webinars and connecting them to emergency funding. The blood drive also inspired a subsequent food drive which will take place in the near future, according to Parnell.