NEMCC takes on ICC to help local blood bank

Annual competition produced approximately 100 donations in 2021

by Michael H. Miller

BOONEVILLE, Miss. -- (09/01/2022) — Northeast Mississippi Community College and Itawamba Community College are natural rivals when it comes to athletics but both community colleges agree on one thing and that is helping the communities they serve.

Northeast and Itawamba will be back 'competing' against each other during the Fall 2022 semester to help local blood banks in the area.

Northeast has scheduled its portion of the "Out for Blood" blood drive the week before the two schools face off on the gridiron in Fulton.

Northeast will hold a three-day blood drive on Tuesday, September 6 through Thursday, September 8 in the Haney Union on the college's Booneville campus from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. each day.

Both schools will announce their totals at the annual Northeast-Itawamba football game in Fulton on Thursday, September 15.

During the 2021, "Out for Blood" blood drive competition between the two schools, Northeast and Itawamba combined to raise almost 100 donations of blood for local blood banks in the northeast Mississippi area.

Northeast produced 59 blood donations during a three-day "Out for Blood" blood drive while Itawamba was able to muster 37 donations.

Northeast's blood drives usually run Tuesday and Wednesdays but due to the anticipated reaction to helping local blood banks and competition with the college's nearest rival, the blood drive has been extended to Thursday as well.

Northeast's blood drive is sponsored by the Iota Zeta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, which holds three blood drives a year as part of the chapter's service project requirement. In addition to the September blood drive, those wishing to give blood are welcomed at a January blood drive and an April blood drive.

While Northeast took the honor of 'winning' the 2021 'Out for Blood' blood drive, the real winners were the local blood banks in the northeast Mississippi area.

Blood donation organization, Vitalant, has seen a significant increase in blood usage at area hospitals during the global coronavirus pandemic and will partner with the Iota Zeta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society two more times during the academic year to help fill its shelves for those in need.

Northeast and Itawamba's 'Out for Blood' blood drive comes at a critical time for area blood banks as organizations are just now recovering from the global coronavirus pandemic and finally putting their mobile blood drives back on the road.

Phi Theta Kapa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is composed of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 countries with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation's colleges.

--NEMCC--

Information about Northeast Mississippi Community College

Northeast Mississippi Community College, located in Booneville, Mississippi, is continually moving forward.

In the spring of 2020, Northeast became just one of four community colleges in the world to reach the prestigious Apple Distinguished School designation. NEMCC was the recipient of the Ellucian Impact Award for 2020 that recognizes the college's advancements in technology and is the only school in the nation to receive the award with the second award going to the University of Greenwich in London and Kent, United Kingdom.

Northeast has been named one of the top colleges and universities in Mississippi and was recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal as the Healthiest Workplace in Mississippi as it pertains to colleges and universities.

In addition to being one of the top colleges and universities in the nation, OnlineColleges.com recognized Northeast as the top school in the state of Mississippi for online education out of all colleges and universities, including four-year colleges and universities.

ZIPPIA has honored Northeast as the top community college in Mississippi in preparing students for the workforce and Northeast became the first college or university to offer a Z-degree (zero textbook cost) degree in the state of Mississippi as well.

Northeast athletics can also boast that it is home to a new ultramodern baseball and softball facility and currently holds the record for largest video boards for both sports in the community college ranks in the state.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has designated the college as one of its 'Best Places to Work For,' and CollegeChoice.net has named Northeast a Top 25 Community and Junior College in the country while The Center for Digital Education has recognized Northeast as a Top 10 Digital Community College in the nation.

Campus Labs recently named Northeast as one of two educational institutions in the nation as a Campus Labs Trailblazer Award honoree. The Campus Labs Trailblazer Award is based on the college creating a culture of assessment on campus through Campus Labs Planning to increase institutional adoption, focus on continuous improvement, and closing the loop in the institutional assessment priorities.

For more information about Northeast Mississippi Community College, visit http://www.nemcc.edu.

Northeast Mississippi Community College

NEMCC takes on ICC to help local blood bank

Annual competition produced approximately 100 donations in 2021

Northeast Mississippi Community College

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