Stony Brook University Surpasses Goal at Campus Blood Drive Amid Winter Emergency

Stony Brook University's Student Blood Drive Committee coordinated the February 16 blood drive in collaboration with the New York Blood Center. Photos by Rachael Eyler.

More than 200 pints of blood were collected at Stony Brook University's February 16 blood drive, surpassing the event's 165-pint goal and providing critical relief during a statewide blood emergency.

Held in the Student Activities Center Ballroom A, the drive was held in partnership with the New York Blood Center (NYBC) as part of SUNY's recognition of National Blood Donor Month. Organizers said the turnout could help save an estimated 600 to 700 lives, as each pint donated can be separated into multiple life-saving components.

"We're in a blood emergency," said Steve Pavony, donor relations associate at NYBC. "Only 3% of eligible Americans donate blood. But every two seconds, someone in the country needs blood or a blood product."

The emergency was exacerbated by the recent winter storms, which led to the cancellation of blood drives across the region. According to Doreen Fiscina, NYBC's manager of business development, the organization lost approximately 2,000 units of blood during one snowstorm weekend alone, followed by additional shortages due to the cold.

"Having Stony Brook on a day like today, where we know donors will come in, is critical," Fiscina said.

New York Blood Center's Doreen Fiscina presents Stony Brook alumnus and retired employee Nick Koridis with a certificate of appreciation for his longstanding participation in campus blood drives.

Student leadership played a central role in the success of the drive. The Student Blood Drive Committee coordinated the event in collaboration with NYBC. Zach Don, the committee's president, said Stony Brook continues to lead as the largest university blood donor in New York State.

"We don't have to force anyone to donate," Don said. "Our students, faculty and staff show up and show out every time."

Don's involvement is personal. His mother had acute myeloid leukemia and required multiple blood and platelet transfusions weekly.

"When I came to campus and saw there was an organization coordinating blood drives, I immediately got involved," he said. "I've been volunteering since my first week."

Approximately half of donors at Stony Brook's drives are first-time participants, with 55 first-time donors just at this drive, a key factor as blood centers nationwide depend on younger generations to sustain the supply.

Among the donors was Stony Brook alumnus Nick Koridis, who is in his 42nd year of donating blood. A retired campus employee, Koridis began donating in 1984 and continues to return around three times a year. He was presented with a certificate recognizing the cumulative impact of his decades of donating. Just his blood has potentially saved hundreds of lives.

"You volunteer because you're priceless," Koridis said. "It's something important to continue for family, friends and the future."

Koridis said being recognized was meaningful not for personal praise, but as a reminder of what consistent service can accomplish.

"If someone sees that and thinks, 'Maybe I can do that too,' that's what matters," he said.

The day also began with a live discussion on WUSB, Stony Brook's radio station, highlighting recent updates to federal blood donation screening policies. Under revised guidelines, all donors now answer the same eligibility questions regardless of sexual orientation, replacing previous restrictions that barred many gay and bisexual men from donating. Organizers said the policy change has encouraged broader participation and increased awareness.

For NYBC, every drive, regardless of size, matters.

"It's a pint of blood that we didn't have," Fiscina said. "And that makes every drive a success."

- Lily Miller