October 30, 2003

With the backdrop of bats, Dracula and ferocious fangs and dressed in frightening Halloween costumes, faculty and students in the School of Nursing are hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday in Burk Hall.

"We want to encourage all people with blood to attend and role up their sleeves. The highly experienced nurses of the Blood Centers of the Pacific will, with gentle kindness, take your blood," said Mary Ann van Dam, an assistant professor of nursing and organizer of the event. "Because it’s Halloween, we will serve loads of candy and juice to all those generous souls who donate. Of course, we will not look like our angelic selves that day, but let that not deter you from joining in this angelic cause."

Donors are asked to donate in celebration of their good health or in the name of a loved one.

Blood Centers of the Pacific is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides blood and blood components to hospitals, physicians and patients throughout Northern California and conducts medical research to improve blood safety and patient care. Blood Centers of the Pacific helps 50,000 patients every year with blood donated by community volunteers.

Working closely with businesses, community groups, nonprofit organizations, churches, synagogues, schools and colleges to schedule "on-site" mobile blood drives, Blood Centers of the Pacific annually distributes more than 130,000 pints of blood, and 15,000 platelets units and processes 95,000 blood components.

All interested students and faculty and staff members are invited to the blood drive to be held in rooms 374-376 in Burk Hall. For more information, call the School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Services at (415) 405-4063.

-- Christina Holmes

1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132    (415) 338-1111
Last modified October 30, 2003, by the Office of Public Affairs