The Blood Source and Associated Students Inc. organized a blood drive to draw blood from students and faculty of Sacramento State today.

The Blood Source conducts blood drives every semester at Sac State. Allision Smith, an employee of Blood Source, said that these blood drives are important because they go to local area hospitals and help to save peoples lives.

“Donating blood makes me feel good because others might not be as lucky. They could be dying,” said freshman accounting major Eva Ta.

“I give blood because my blood-type can go to anyone, so I feel like I have to,” said senior sociology Vivian Villasana.

People who donated blood are asked to fill out a questionnaire. This helps to guarantee a safe blood donation. The questionnaire asks about drug use, such as intravenous needles, risky sexual behavior and if a person has had a flu shot within 24 hours.

Most people who donated blood had done it before.

Jacqueline Wall, senior criminal justice major, donates blood every eight weeks.

“I do it as often as I can, because it is a good cause,” Wall said. “But they need more workers here — it’s a slow process today.” Round Table Pizza offered free one-topping pizzas to those who donated blood, instead of the more traditional t-shirt.

Jesse Dillard, a senior communications major and a member of Omega Psi Phi, volunteered with several of his brothers to pass out fliers advertising the drive.

“We knew it was going on, so we decided to get in with it. It’s a great cause and lots of people are showing up,” Dillard said.

Derek Fleming can be reached at [email protected].