A bus parked on campus was the site of the bone and marrow drive. Photo by Nick Marley/Daily Titan Photo Editor

Students volunteered their time to donate blood or register as a marrow donor on Titan Lifesavers Day of Awareness at the Titan Walk Wednesday.

The American Red Cross, Be a Hero Become a Donor and Music Saves Lives, were a few featured booths that educated passers-by on the importance of playing a role in saving a person's life.

Project director for blood drives and health science major Antoinette Batino said that students who donate blood receive free music downloads, snacks, and the potential to win tickets to the Laugh Factory and Grammys.

"If you spend maybe an hour of your time, you can save three lives by donating one pint of blood," Batino said.

American Red Cross team supervisor Nora Whitehouse said that even though she has yet to meet someone who loves needles, students should donate blood to save lives.

"The Red Cross's goal is to provide the safest blood for the American people," Whitehouse said.

According to Batino and Whitehouse, students are mainly concerned about the large needle used when blood is drawn into a plastic bag.

"We don't want the red blood cells to break down. To get that good blood out, we need a big needle," Whitehouse said.

Business major Monica Gutierrez said that she has never been afraid of needles, and is donating blood for the third time because it helps people.

"(Students) should eat before, or go whenever (they) feel good," Gutierrez suggested.

Be a Hero Become a Donor partnered with The Red Cross to raise awareness and encourage students to recycle their body through blood, organ, tissue and marrow donations.

"Without people sharing our vital resources - blood, marrow, organs - patients will not have hope," said Gina Cousineau, co-founder of Be a Hero Become a Donor.

For bone marrow, patients are unlikely to match someone of the same race and ethnicity because tissue types are inherited.

According to Cousineau, all ethnic groups are underrepresented, even though seven million people are on the National Bone Marrow Registry. Only 30 percent of siblings within a family will match, so it is important to add more strangers to the registry, she added.

As 6,000 people search for their match each day, the chances of people receiving a phone call to donate marrow are one in a million, Cousineau added.

Bone marrow candidates need to be between the ages of 18 to 60 and meet health guidelines.

"People are concerned with the ‘What if?' Make the decision based on who you are and what you're doing," Cousineau said.

Cousineau added that most people perceive bone marrow transplants as painful and scary, due to misconceptions in television and media.

"70 percent of people who go on to donate, donate their stem cells through a blood donation method called apheresis. It’s how people donate plasma platelets and red bloodcells. Only 30 percent are asked to donate bone marrow, which is very different than portrayed by the media. It’s an out patient procedure, done locally, where you are put to sleep. While asleep they take the marrow from your pelvic bone with the needle and donors claim to have little or no discomfort following the procedure,” Cousineau said.

Thirty donors have come out of the Be a Hero Become a Donor Drives. A majority of donors selected are males in their 20s, Cousineau added.

"(Students) already understand the concept of donating blood. Who better to empower than students," Cousineau said.

The next blood drive and marrow registry will take place between April 20 and 22.