Look Back and Act Forward is the motto of the Remembrance Scholars, where it is our mission to look back to educate the campus community about terrorism by relating the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy to current events; and to act forward by providing avenues to create a better community through service and positive actions. One way the Remembrance Scholars have chosen to Look Back and Act Forward is by partnering with the Red Cross to host a Pan Am Flight 103 Remembrance Blood Drive on Thursday, Dec. 6 from noon to 6 p.m. in Schine Student Center 304 ABC (upstairs; adjacent to Panasci Lounge).
Donating blood can seem pretty intimidating, to help with the process, here are 5 things you need to know about donating blood:
1. The need for blood is a persistent problem throughout the US and every 2 seconds someone is in need. By donating blood you are helping cancer, trauma, sickle cell, and burn patients and patients with chronic illnesses.
2. Blood and platelets cannot be manufactured; they can only come from volunteer donors. Blood supply cannot always be met because only 10% of eligible people donate blood each year.
3. Donating blood is one of the simplest things you can do to help others, in fact one donation saves 3 lives. It’s easy. The process takes no more than an hour, and by donating on Dec. 6 you even get a free Red Cross t-shirt, a sticker, and a $5 Amazon gift card!
4. It’s easy to sign up for an appointment. You can call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767), visit redcrossblood.org, or download the app and use the donateblood@SU tagline to locate our drive.
5. When you arrive you will be registered; then answer a few questions about your health history (places you’ve traveled) and also check your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin level; and then donate. The donation itself takes 8-10 minutes.
If you have any questions or would like more information about blood donation please visit redcrossblood.org. We hope you can look back and act forward with us by donating blood on Dec. 6 at the Pan Am Flight 103 Remembrance Blood Drive.
The Remembrance Scholarship program is dedicated to honoring, celebrating, and remembering the 270 lives, 259 passengers and 11 Lockerbie residents, that perished in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988. On board the flight were 35 students studying through the Syracuse University Study Abroad program. Each year there are 35 rising seniors who are selected to represent those students who were lost and carry on and honor their legacies by looking back and acting forward. Visit the Remembrance website for more information about the Remembrance Scholarship Program or how you can apply.
Written by Danielle Schaf ’19, College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell School, Remembrance Scholar