By Lena LaJoy
The Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center sponsored the American Red Cross for the fourth blood drive of the year on Tuesday, and 49 people at The University of Maryland signed up to donate between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The alumni center first hosted the blood drive after the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the time, the blood drive only occurred twice a year. The blood drive now happens four times a school year, with at least eight weeks between each drive to allow those who participated in the previous drive to be eligible to donate again.
In total, the alumni center has hosted 10 blood drives since it began and collected 383 units of blood.
Lindsey Wareing, the director of sales and marketing at the alumni center, began hosting this blood drive as a way to honor her 9-year-old cousin, who passed in 2021.
Wareing said that the past blood drives were extremely successful, and they often received more donations than they expected. On Tuesday, the alumni center had a goal of 40 donations and collected a total of 41.
Wareing said that most of the donations come from people who sign up online. However, she wants to take as many donations as possible, so she accepts walk-ins as well.
She said the alumni center appreciates the people who take the time to help those in need.
“The Alumni Association supports the drives as a part of our priorities: to empower Terps to live a life of meaning and impact and to educate and activate alums to serve our communities,” Wareing said.
She said the next donations will take place on Feb. 9, 2026, and April 20, 2026, which is during Do Good Month.
Wareing said many of the people who come to the blood drive are regulars and have come to the event in the past.
Jessica Saylor, a freshman film and marketing double major, has attended two blood drives at the alumni center, and she donated to the Red Cross in the past. Saylor said she heard about the event over social media and wanted to give back to people in need.
Saylor said she felt enticed to donate because she wants to give back. She added that with a certain number of donations, the Red Cross will give you a $5 Visa or Amazon gift card.
“I go to the blood drive to help give back to people that are sick and need something I can spare,” Saylor said.
Chioma Nkeya, a Red Cross employee, said there were six Red Cross workers at the blood drive, and they all went through an intensive eight- to 12-week training program before working in the field.
Nkeya said that before donations are collected, practical exams and questions are asked to ensure the donors are candidates. Then, the donors either sit or lie down while the blood donation is taking place, which can take around eight to 10 minutes.
After the donation is taken, donors can enjoy food and refreshments provided by the Red Cross to ensure there are no negative side effects.
At Tuesday’s blood drive, donors who checked in at the Abbott competition table received Terrapin Express cards, t-shirts and bucket hats.
Meera Rathod, a sophomore finance and economics double major who is the student ambassador for the UMD We Give Blood team, took the names of those donating blood and entered them into the Abbott competition.
The Abbott is a blood competition hosted by schools in the Big Ten conference to see who can collect the most donations starting on Aug. 27. The winning school earns $1 million.
UMD is currently ranked No. 16 out of the 18 participating schools.
Rathod said students should participate because it is a great way for our school to give back to those in need and save lives.
“Each blood donation can save up to three lives, and getting students, alumni and fans involved across the country makes the biggest impact to save lives,” Rathod said.
Featured Image: The outside of the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center on the afternoon of Dec. 5, 2025. Photo by Anika Stikeleather.