The line that formed outside of Hyatt Union A was a testament to Mennonite generosity, this time with blood.

“They weren’t expecting this many people apparently,” said one young adult standing in line at 2:30 p.m. Even donors with appointments waited 30 minutes for their donation chair.

“I had a 2:30 appointment,” Jennifer Steiner said at 4 p.m. after her successful donation. “Waiting a few hours was worth it to give blood.”

Tim Wahlstrom, from Newport News, Va., said he’s had to wait longer for less fun stuff so the wait did not bother him. “(I donate blood) to do good and it doesn’t cost me anything,” said Wahlstrom.

Steiner, of Goshen, Ind., donated at the Charlotte convention and then had to wait a year to donate again because of a trip to Africa. Overseas travel turns away many eager Mennonite donors.

Others like Allison Brenneman of Goshen, Ind., are turned away because of a low iron count. “I’m going to try again tomorrow,” said Brenneman. “One worker said I just needed a big t-bone steak.”

Yet the most common reason for turning away donors on Wednesday was a lack of beds. Around 4 p.m. an American Red Cross supervisor, Keith Starkey, told two walk-ins that the appointments were filled. “The way everything is going it will be touch and go,” said Starkey.

According to Norma Wasserstrom, the donor recruitment representative for downtown Columbus, 83 donors signed in on Wednesday and 70 are signed up for Thursday. The drive began with a goal of 50 donations each day.

Wasserstrom works with Experience Columbus to find convention groups interested in hosting a blood drive. Typically blood drives stick to a strict donation schedule, making these larger drives, with more walk-in donors, a challenge. Wasserstrom said additional staff have been added for Thursday’s scheduled donors.

Some walk-ins might find room but Rodney Wilson, from the Central Ohio Blood Region office, welcomes others to use a different local site.

“Our inventory is 600 short of where we’d like to be in central Ohio,” Wilson said. “We need everyone we can get. It’s great to see such a positive response to the blood drive!”

Editor’s note: Donors may also visit Ohio State University, just up High Street to the north, or Nationwide, a block away from the Convention Center.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

OSU Science and Engineering Library

175 W. 18th Ave, Columbus

9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

OSU College of Veterinary Medicine

1935 Coffey Rd., Columbus

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Nationwide Plaza Donor Center

One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus

8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Friday, July 3

Holiday Inn

7007 N. High St., Worthington

11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Carriage Place Donor Center

4820 Sawmill Rd., Columbus

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.