7/6/2011 4:57:00 PM

UAlbany NanoCollege and the American Red Cross partner for 3rd Annual Blood Drive at CNSE

Event photos

The American Red Cross reports that summer is typically one of the most challenging times of the year for blood donations, which often decline as schools are out of session and families take vacations. In an effort to combat low donation levels, the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany and the American Red Cross partnered to present CNSE's 3rd Annual Blood Drive on July 6.

More than 55 people participated in this year's blood drive at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex, where each donor received a coupon for a free carton of Friendly’s ice cream as a thank you for their donation. Last year's blood drive was held in memory of Alivia Lovell, the daughter of CNSE Integration Engineer Dave Lovell.

The American Red Cross estimates that a single blood donation can help save up to three lives, and that every two seconds, someone in America needs blood. On any given day, about 38,000 units of red blood cells are needed to treat accident victims, children and adults undergoing surgery, and patients receiving treatment for cancer and other diseases.