USC blood drive collects enough donations to save hundreds of lives

The American Red Cross has made it clear: The blood supply in Los Angeles and across the nation is low. Collecting blood has become more challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the spike in positive cases in L.A. County. In response, USC and close to 20 community partners answered the call and provided not one but two safe sites for donors to give much-needed blood this week.

“Like many, I was initially not comfortable leaving my house,” said David Galaviz, USC associate vice president of government and community relations. “But after helping organize this event and seeing all the precautions that were taken, I know that health and safety were paramount.”

The USC Heroes United blood drive campaign took place over two days, at Galen Center and USC Village. The result was 192 units of blood collected, surpassing the goal of 183 units. The blood has the potential to save 576 lives. More importantly, the drive was able to conduct 22 “Power Red” procedures, which are vital to saving lives in trauma and surgery patients.

“It’s a great day to celebrate community partnerships,” Galaviz said. “It’s hard to encourage people to come out to an event during a pandemic. This is a great opportunity to help others, an opportunity to come together and donate blood for a needed cause.”