After Oregon shooting, blood donations spike, then fall

Published 12:32 pm Wednesday, November 18, 2015

EUGENE, Ore. — A blood donation center in Eugene was swarmed with people after the Oct. 1 shooting at an Oregon community college, but donations dropped off shortly after that initial surge.

the Lane Blood Center was nearly deserted three weeks after the shooting at the Umpqua Community College shooting, according to The Register-Guard.

Lane Blood spokeswoman Cynthia Vignos said hundreds of people who schedule appointments following the shooting failed to show up, and many didn’t bother to give notice.

“The week after the shooting I looked through my office window to see an almost empty parking lot, and asked, ‘Why are there not more people?”’ Vignos said.

American Red Cross Cascades Region spokesman Jared Schultzman said people need to think of blood donation at times other than tragedies.

“It’s estimated only 3 percent of the population donate blood year-round,” Schultzman said. “Tragic events like this shooting do gain a lot of attention … But we need donations year-round.”

From Oct. 1 to Oct. 3, the Lane Blood center collected 554 pints of blood, but on a typical day only 30 to 40 pints are donated.

While Vignos said it was nice to be busy after the shooting, it would have been better to have some of those who donated in response to the shooting become regular donors. Blood agencies typically allow a donor to give a pint every two or three months.

“It’s not Lane Blood Center that needs the blood, it’s Lane County that needs blood,” Vignos said. “There are accidents and surgeries — there’s a constant need for this.”