Members of the Greek community banded together yesterday to take part in the largest-ever blood drive held at Penn.
The event was held to support the Red Cross' disaster-relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
In total, 109 pints of blood were collected during the drive, which lasted for eight and a half hours and was held in Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge.
"It's better than we expected," said Engineering senior Brian Keller, president of the Penn American Red Cross.
Seventeen members of the Kappa Sigma fraternity donated blood -- the highest number of participants from any Greek organization. The fraternity had previously won the last Greek Life Challenge, held in the spring.
In a close tie for second place were Alpha Phi and Sigma Kappa sororities.
Yesterday's blood drive was the third Greek Life Challenge organized by the Penn American Red Cross, but it set a new precedent for collaboration across the Greek community.
This drive collected twice as much blood as the spring drive and even surpassed the 70 pints collected in a 2003 drive on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
With the tragedy of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita still fresh in students' minds, participants expressed sentiments of personal gratification and pride after donating blood.
"I feel good, like I've given back a little," said Wharton sophomore and Kappa Sigma brother Don Koetting, who sacrificed his lunch to donate.
There was a palpable sense of enthusiasm as students moved from the screening area to the assembled cots, where Red Cross nurses and volunteers oversaw a smooth and organized donating process. One volunteer, Sue Cellini, remarked that the college students are "respectful," adding that "they feel as if they're doing a good deed" by donating to the Red Cross.
Keller said 87 percent of those registered to donate did keep their appointments, all of which were scheduled through the Penn Red Cross Web site.
"The beds were full all day," said Keller, who credited the success to Greek organizations' publicity and the ebullient response to the Red Cross' hurricane-relief efforts.
For College sophomore Regina Lam, participating in the blood drive served a dual purpose.
"It's a competition, and it's supporting the Red Cross," she said.
Fifteen Greek organizations were represented by at least one blood donor at the drive. The Greek Life Challenge was one of about 15 on-campus blood drives that will be conducted this semester.
