WEDNESDAY (2/8) – The Garden City Community College held a blood drive in the Dennis Perryman Athletic Complex building. The blood drive allowed students and people of the community to come and donate blood to the American Red Cross. Being able to donate blood comes at a dire time as Turkey and Syria experience a devastating earthquake. 

A conflict that often arose for many students who donated blood was the amount of time it took to donate their blood. They set an appointment and expect it to be done in the next half-hour. They immediately sat down and spent the majority of their time sitting down. As a student, time management is essential. Being a student and finding the time for personal or important matters can be tricky between class and work. If you need help managing time the next time you donate, it is recommended to use Rapid Pass®. 

The importance of donating blood comes from the constant need to donate blood, as it can only be stored for a limited period before its use. Having the accessibility to donate blood comes at a crucial time as Turkey and Syria faced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. The red cross and crescent are responding to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Many efforts are being made to rescue those affected by the massive earthquake and to provide aid. According to the American Red Cross, “At this time, the American Red Cross has not received blood product requests for Türkiye or Syria – and therefore is not collecting blood in the U.S. to go to those affected by the devastating earthquake.” but they could “ship blood products outside of the U.S. (adhering to appropriate regulatory guidelines), following a specific request from a government or affected Red Cross society. 

The humanitarian crisis occurring in Turkey and Syria does not affect those of us in Garden City, Kansas, but there are students in the college that come from Turkey. There have even been efforts in the US to raise funds to aid in the humanitarian crisis. A notable attempt to raise funds was made by Hasan Piker, a twitch streamer, whose community has raised over 1.3 million dollars to aid victims of the Turkey and Syria earthquakes. 

As an update to the earthquake, according to the Associated Press, the death toll is now more than 35,000 and hospitals are lacking sufficient medical supplies. The United Nations has sent aid convoys with 11 trucks that include blankets and medical equipment across the border to Syria from Turkey. Although recovery efforts have been stymied by the lack of fuel leaving many of those left homeless struggling to meet basic needs, like a shelter from the bitter cold.