A region-wide blood shortage has led the Penn State Student Red Cross Club to increase its measures to get more students and university employees to donate blood.

"We've actually been in an emergency situation since January," said Wendi Keeler, donor resources field representative for the American Red Cross. She said blood reserves are between one-half and one-and-a-half days' worth of supply.

"We like to keep five days' supply," she said. "We supply 100 hospitals."

To combat the shortage, Keeler said the club is offering gimmicks like tie-dyed T-shirts, rubber balls and raffle giveaways to attract donors. She said her goal is to collect 1,000 units of blood on campus this month.

Keeler has organized 12 blood drives this month, and there are two more next week: Tuesday in Wagner Building and Wednesday in HUB Alumni Hall. Both drives run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"I think we really have to have a good student turnout," she said.

About 70 percent of on-campus donations come from students.

Keeler said about 20 to 30 percent of students who try to give blood are deferred, but she thinks many students misinterpret deferrals. She said the biggest deferral on campus is due to iron deficiency, which is often a temporary condition. "They think they're permanently deferred," she said. "But just because you can't give today doesn't mean you can't in the future."

She said other students think they cannot donate blood because of confusions about piercing. "As long as it was done sterilely and it's not infected, you can donate the next day," she said.

Students who have had tattoos, however, must wait one year before donating blood.

Carl Tegtmeier (junior-business), who volunteered at the HUB blood drive yesterday, said he was impressed at the turnout but thought misguided fears kept some potential donors from giving blood. "No one likes needles," he said. "Needles scare everyone away."

But Vanessa Ehmke (sophomore-kinesiology), who donated yesterday, said she donates once about every 60 days and has never had a problem giving blood. The worst part of the process for Ehmke is "definitely the prick of the finger," she said, referring to the initial iron test given to donors before they donate.

Keeler said the Greater Alleghenies Region of the American Red Cross, the region that serves State College, encompasses 100 counties in six states. About 8 percent of blood collected in this region is from colleges and universities. "About half of that is collected at University Park," she said.

Lisa Neville (senior-operations and information systems management) said she donated yesterday, as she does once or twice a year, partly because her aunt needed blood a few years ago for knee surgery. "My mom and my other aunt had to donate for her," she said.

Keeler said the need for blood is ongoing, although many people only think about donating blood in times of crisis, such as after Sept. 11, 2001.

"People don't really think about it that much," she said. She added that the Red Cross is on emergency appeal so often that the effect can be that of "crying wolf." She said the condition may grow worse during the summer.

Typically by April, blood supplies are better than they are this year, and because summer takes students away from campus, donations will fall.