UWT hosts annual blood drive for local vampire communities
On Friday March 13, UW Tacoma hosted their annual blood drive for the local vampire community. With the assistance and sponsorship provided by The Cold Ones — a non-profit organization operated by the vampirical Cullen family in Forks, WA — the blood drive accumulated a year’s worth of blood for state-accredited WA vampires.
Alice Cullen, the coordinator and creator of the blood drive, is a long time member of both the Cullen family and The Cold Ones. As a century-old vampire herself, she is appreciative of the annual effort extended by the Tacoma community.
“To all the students and staff I extend my absolute gratitude. With your help and personal donations, vampires across Washington no longer have to scavenge for their food supply,” she said. “Better yet, mortals, or rather humans, no longer have to constantly worry about an unwarranted visit from a hungry neighborhood vampire.”
The event lasted for 12 hours and hosted over 1,000 willing students and community members — the largest turnout for this event since its inception in 2014.
The primary founder of the organization, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, was initially wary of the implementation of this event. However, with the amount of success the drives continue to bring in, and the improvement of vampire and human relations, he has since come around to the idea.
“As a doctor, I was concerned that the number of donors, as well as the copious amounts of blood, would attract outside vampires and wreak havoc. Vampires that are naive to the coexistence between themselves and humans, and unlearned in the art of domestication, are too large a threat for mortal community members,” he explained. “However, over the years, it has become increasingly clear that the blood drives improve the interpersonal relationships between our species and provide a safe alternative to traditional lethal feeding.”
Furthermore, since the 2013 initiative to enhance human and vampire relations — along with the willful donations from generous individuals — vampire-related deaths have dropped 67%. And while the blood drives no doubt address the food insecurity evident in vampire communities, these events also seem to improve the communal aspects among mortals and immortals.
Charlie Swan, a long time advocate and donor, explained his personal and humanistic connection to the ongoing movement.
“My daughter, Bella, is a vampire… she has been for a while and even though I’m still coming to terms with her decision it’s nice to know the community respects her and is willing to help,” he expressed. “Even though I largely distrust most vampires, I’m happy to contribute to any event that lowers vampire-related mortality… even if that means occasionally donating my own blood 4 hours south from my home in Forks.”
While the threat of a ravenous vampire is still within the realm of possibilities, the promotion of this annual UWT event is sure to create a safe space for humans and vampires alike.
If you or someone you know is interested in donating, please contact The Cold Ones directly @AprilFools or follow this link uw.edu/vampire+blood/happyaprilfools.com. As a reminder to current and prospective donors, on behalf of the vampire community, please omit all garlic from your diet at least 24 hours before donation. Thank you!
