The Washburn University Pre-Health Club partnered with the Community Blood Center to host a blood drive on Feb. 19 at Petro Allied Health Center, bringing students and staff to donate blood and support hospitals in the Kansas City metro area.
The Community Blood Center supplies blood and blood products to hospitals including Saint Luke’s Hospital and University of Kansas Hospital. The organization works with schools, businesses and community groups to host blood drives and collect donations for patients in need.
During the blood drive, CBC staff guided students through registration, health screenings and blood collection. After donating, participants were provided with snacks and drinks, as well as bottles and stickers.
“Washburn really organized all of it,” said Kylie Weitzel, a representative from the Community Blood Center. “So they called our center downtown and basically planned their event through us.”
The event brought together many students who stopped by between classes. One of them was first-time donor Jessica Morales-Ramirez, freshman psychology major, who learned about the event through a flyer.
Jadyn Falley, senior biology major, and executive member of the Washburn Pre-Health Club, said she helped organize the event.
“We’re trying to come up with different ideas to support the community and do better as a whole,” Falley said.
Falley also highlighted the importance of paying attention to health before donating.
“Drinking water is definitely really important,” Falley said. “I feel like you also have to look at your health history, just looking to see if you can donate.”
The Washburn Pre-Health Club focuses on giving students interested in health professions opportunities to get involved in service related to skill-building and professional development. In addition to the blood drive, the club has hosted activities such as suture practice nights and is working on bringing in speakers and organizing more community-focused events.
The blood drive marked the first such event on campus since 2021 and organizers hope to make it a more regular occurrence in the future.
Edited by Arohi Rai and Anushma Dahal
