NEWARK, Del. – The secret to success in going to the University of Delaware three times a semester is the fact that Blood Bank of Delmarva Account Manager Gia Rivera finds a different student organization to work with each month.
In September, Gia worked with the Sigma Alpha Sorority, which did an outstanding job in completing its community service project. On Tuesday, October 17, she struck blue and gold with the medical fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilom. Indeeed, Phi Delta Epsilom shined like the school colors, blue and gold, for the University of Delaware Fall Semester Blood Drive, part 2.
Phi Delta Epsilom is for students on the pre-med track, including the blood drive coordinator Marissa Ristano. She is junior biology major at the University of Delaware.
“I had asked Gia last semester if we could help out. We didn’t host the event, but we were able to bring in some volunteers,” Marissa said. “This semester I asked, can we actually host it and work with you? All of my fraternity members were able to get involved and give back to the community. I know a majority of them also came to donate. It was great. It’s really great that you guys come here.”
Marissa and fellow University of Delaware students and fraternity members worked hard on Tuesday to ensure this blood drive was a success. Among them were Avery Pollicita, Kirti Daga, Loren Watkins, Kaitlyn Taylor, Isabella Ewine, Eden Sullivan, Emma Zarate and Yufei Chen. (Isabella donated in September, and she volunteered in the canteen on Tuesday.)
Marissa also recruited her UD roommate, Sydney Iredell. Sydney and Marissa took a picture with our Lifesaver and Proud Donor photo props, respectively.
Similar to September, the blood drive once again brought out several majors with a pre-med or scientific focus in their studies. There was also a bumper crop of first-time and O positive donors.
And we ran into UD student and former BBD associate Shane McGarry, as we do from time to time at the University of Delaware blood drives.
Director, Donor Resources Nicole Pineault and Director of Donor Recruitment Joanna Arat thanked Gia and the students for creating an effective partnership and another successful blood drive. And they sent a big thank you to Associate Director, Mobile Operations Paige McIlvain and Supervisor, Collections Jesse Latham and the mobile crew that worked hard on Tuesday.
