For immediate release — March 19, 2012
(DALLAS) — Dallas County Community College District service learning students who need to earn service hours for the spring semester can do that and give the gift of life at the same time. All they have to do is volunteer for a day of fun, food and service at the headquarters of the American Red Cross in Dallas on Monday, March 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the organization’s headquarters, located at 4800 Harry Hines Blvd.
“DCCCD students who need to earn service learning credits before the end of the semester have a chance to do that by participating in a blood drive on March 26. The district has partnered with the American Red Cross to help students earn their service hours and help others,” said Mary Norman, director of student and community engagement for the district.
She added, “Students who are interested need to contact their professors first to make sure that donating blood will satisfy their service learning requirements. After they receive approval, those students then must register online at
www.redcrossblood.org and use the sponsor code arcdallas; those online appointments must be made at least 24 hours in advance. They also must bring their service learning timesheet to Red Cross headquarters on the day of the blood drive.
“Once students have made appointments online (in advance) and their donations, they will be given two hours of service learning credit,” said Norman. “This opportunity is a great way to earn service learning hours and help others through their donations.”
Students also can earn two service learning hours for recruiting a friend to make an online appointment and donate; one service learning hour for attending/donating without an appointment; and one service learning hour for recruiting a friend to donate without an appointment. Online scheduling will be closed 24 hours before the event.
All participants who attend will receive a thank-you gift, in addition to food and onsite raffle opportunities; those who make online appointments in advance will be included in an additional special raffle during the blood drive. All participants also will receive a voucher for two complimentary tickets to an FC Dallas game while supplies last; restrictions may apply.
“Our students do not have to be registered American Red Cross volunteers to take advantage of this opportunity to earn service learning credit,” said Norman.
For more information, contact Norman by phone at 214-378-1758 or by email at
mknorman@dcccd.edu.
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Press contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu