Students will walk in to the big gym and see a line of students, nurses, and needles. On March 28 CSLP (Community Service Learning Program) is hosting their annual Blood Drive.

The students will walk in into the gym where they will check in. They will then have to meet with a doctor to check their blood type. After the students has given their blood they will be fed pizza and sweets to make sure they are okay to proceed with their day.

The American Red Cross sponsors the Blood Drive, which was chosen because it is a non-profit organization. Each member must get forty people to sign up to donate. CSLP is hoping for twenty percent more students to participate in the blood drive than in previous years.

“In previous years the members [of CSLP] would not even donate, but this years everyone involved in the blood drive is trying to donate,” committee leader Melanie Wilson said.

This year there will be many incentives to get the students to donate. The members of CSLP have been busy going to places like restaurants and tanning salons for gift cards and different coupons for the students who give blood.

“I plan on giving everyone a pep talk about how [giving blood] saves three lives,” Wilson said. “Also, I plan on telling everyone about the cool incentives.”

In order to give blood there are no requirements except that the student must be sixteen or older and could not have been out of the country for the past year.

Wilson and others are trying to get more and more sixteen-year-olds because in order for sixteen year olds to participate they must have a parent signature. If seventeen and older than the student can just sign up and donate blood.

“By getting a little finger prick, I can save three lives,” CSLP member Nicole Hume said. “It’s a big deal.”