By Michelle Hagge, American Red Cross

When Christopher Shelor rolled up his sleeve at this year’s Aztecs for Life Blood Drive, he was doing more than just donating; he was continuing a legacy of service, partnership, and community impact that has connected San Diego State University (SDSU) and the American Red Cross for over ten years.

The Aztecs for Life Blood Drive began as a simple partnership built on a shared belief: that the SDSU community could come together for a single day of service and create impact beyond campus. Now in its ninth year, the event has grown into the largest single day Red Cross collegiate blood drive in California, drawing students, faculty, alumni, athletes, and local supporters to donate side by side. Each year, hundreds of units collected at Viejas Arena are transported to hospitals and trauma centers across the region, carrying the potential to support patients, save lives, and become part of stories families may never forget.

On November 13, 2025, that impact was clearly reflected as the Red Cross welcomed 380 participants and collected 344 units of blood. The energy in the arena was heightened by support from community partners and university groups who helped create a welcoming donor experience. The Physician Assistant Student Association (PASA) volunteered in the canteen and recovery areas while encouraging donors throughout campus, and both the Kappa Delta Sorority and the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Team rallied some of the largest groups of participants. Their involvement reflects a campus-wide culture in which collaboration fuels service, and service fuels impact.

The culture is unmistakable. Walk across campus, and you’ll see signs of it everywhere: service-learning programs; faculty advisors encouraging volunteerism; student-led projects supporting food insecurity and military families; and an alumni community known for leading with their hands as much as their voices. SDSU doesn’t just teach students what they can become; it challenges them to become someone who gives back.

For his second donation ever, Christopher made a Power Red donation, a donation that collects a concentrated dose of red blood cells, the component most needed for trauma, surgeries, and patients with chronic illnesses. “I am grateful to be a part of a university culture that encourages service,” Christopher said.

A Power Red donation is a specialized type of blood donation in which a donor gives a concentrated dose of red blood cells, the part of blood most often used in transfusions, while the rest of the blood (plasma, platelets, and other components) is safely returned to the donor. Because you’re donating double the red cells, a single Power Red donation is roughly the equivalent of two standard whole-blood donations.

Not everyone qualifies to donate Power Red. Donors must meet standard eligibility criteria and additional requirements such as minimum height, weight, and hemoglobin level. Because of the larger red-cell collection, Power Red donations are spaced out—typically allowed every 112 days (about three times a year).

Power Red donations are especially valuable because red blood cells are the most frequently used blood component, vital for trauma patients, surgeries, chronic illness, newborns, and individuals with conditions like anemia or sickle cell disease. By doubling the impact of one donation, Power Red helps save more lives, making each donation count significantly more than a standard donation.

And as long as SDSU continues to promote a culture where service is part of the conversation and where civic responsibility sits alongside academics, the influence of Aztecs for Life will keep growing.

For Chris, the impact of a single Power Red donation is both simple and profound: a moment that may mean a lifetime to someone else.