Lafayette residents donate
blood in order to help
victims of attack
By Kelsey VanArsdall
Staff Writer
In the wake of a tragedy there are few places to
find solace, but however small their efforts may have seemed, residents
of the Greater Lafayette community came together to try and help lift
the weight of Tuesday's unprecedented event.
The Central Indiana Regional Blood Center opened
the doors of its blood mobile at 11 a.m. Tuesday outside Johnson Hall.
Students started responding almost immediately.
Because the blood mobile has only two beds the
wait to give blood increased rapidly as students and staff started lining
up.
"I don't care how long I have to wait," said Vicki
Sickler, a custodian for the Elliott Hall of Music. "This is a more
than worthy cause and I believe that in the time of a tragedy, Americans
should pull together no matter how close or far away we are."
The blood mobile was accepting donations until
3 p.m. on Tuesday and it had a steady flow of students all afternoon.
One of the nurses said that the turnout was great,
but could not give the specific number of students who donated.
The mood of those giving blood was obviously one
of initial disbelief and a little fear, but most were glad just to be
able to contribute what they could.
"I was shocked when I learned about the attack
this morning; it's so terribly amazing and tragic at the same time.
This date will go down in history; it's almost like the Pearl Harbor
of the 21st Century," said Keith Davis, a sophomore in Schools of Engineering.
Davis was one of the first students to give blood
Tuesday.
Those who didn't have time to wait for the blood
mobile were given the option of going to the main donation center in
downtown Lafayette on Union street. The downtown center was open Tuesday
from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the wait was about two hours for those who
wanted to donate.
"Donators started lining up as soon as we opened
this morning and people just keep coming. It's great to see everyone
willing to give what they can to help those people directly affected
by this terrible act," said Mary Rominger the general manager of the
Lafayette Community Blood Center.
Blood was not the only thing donated by the residents
of the greater Lafayette area on Tuesday. Some people helped out the
clinic by answering phones or bringing food. Texas Roadhouse cooked
food especially for the nurses and staff at the clinic and Papa John's
brought pizza.
"I came into work this morning and my co-workers
and I decided to cook food for the clinic so the nurses wouldn't have
to leave to eat lunch," said Carrie Pickett, a resident of Lafayette
working at Texas Roadhouse and part time student of Indiana University-Purdue
University Indianapolis.
"The place was packed when I brought the food,
so I decided to stay and answer the phone for them," said Pickett.
The efforts of everyone — students, staff
and residents alike — were greatly appreciated, but those unable
to find the time to donate will have many other chances.
The Lafayette Community Blood Center will be open
Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Center is located at 1515 Union
St. Also, there will be a special blood drive at the Tippecanoe Mall
this Friday from 3 to 7 p.m.
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