Most students can’t put on pads and a helmet and leave blood, sweat and tears on the gridiron for the Causeway Classic. The physical talent needed to succeed is a gift given to a select few.

Thousands of students can, however, give the gift of blood.

The Causeway Classic Blood Drive between Sacramento State and UC Davis is a great opportunity to help others and beat the Aggies at the same time.

Last year, Sac State lost by 122 pints. Even though society is the ultimate winner when people choose to donate blood, there is no reason why Sac State shouldn’t be able to beat Davis off the field as well.

The Hornets are 0-3 against the Aggies in the annual drive, but this could be the year the student body pulls off an upset.

“Been working for three years, we’re getting close to beating UC Davis,” said Ashley Rebholtz, account manager for BloodSource.

BloodSource, the nonprofit organization running the drive, is aiming for 1,700 pints of blood this year from Sac State students and faculty.

“Every day, people need blood,” said senior journalism major Glendale Calmerin. “I like the fact it saves lives.”

Collecting signatures for the drive, Calmerin and other students have gotten hundreds of names of people planning on donating blood. With nearly 30,000 students and hundreds of faculty, the goal of 1,700 pints is reasonable.

“We all have it. It’s a precious commodity,” said senior communication studies major David Hall. “It’s something that should be shared.”

There are some stipulations to giving blood, many of which are more likely to prohibit students from giving blood. People must wait a year after getting piercings not made with a single-use disposable needle or any tattoo.

With only an estimated 38 percent of Americans eligible to donate blood and less than 10 percent of the population doing so, the need for blood is never-ending. BloodSource needs to get 700 pints for Central and Northern California hospitals every single day.

For a procedure completely safe, often resulting in receiving a gift of some sort, every eligible student should consider giving up part of themselves. The free chicken sandwiches, T-shirts and discount coupons donors will get are nice incentives, but not the reason why people should donate.

Helping keep a stranger alive by spending around 10 minutes lying down is the reason.

“We can’t do it without another willing donor,” Rebholtz said.

A bigger sacrifice is going to be asked from those waiting in line, when asked to join the bone marrow registry. Joining the registry is a chance to save the life of someone who has run out of options.

“No one looks for a marrow match unless they’re told they’re not going to survive,” Rebholtz said.

Donating bone marrow does require a commitment as people need to prepare for five days taking a drug before they can actually donate. The five-day preparation can be somewhat painful and the pain can last for a day or two after donating.

One of the biggest reasons the registry needs students from Sac State is to get minority donors. Finding a donor requires a genetic match and people are more likely to find a compatible donor from someone of a similar racial background.

“There’s a huge push for people of different backgrounds to register,” Rebholtz said.

With 72 percent of people on the registry willing to donate being white, minorities are at a severe disadvantage when needed to find a donor. Sac State’s diverse student body can greatly help add to underrepresented groups.

Anyone physically able to help others can do so whenever he or she chooses, but opportunities to do so with others on campus is something to take advantage of.

The drive started on campus Tuesday and continues today in the University Union Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those who want to help Sac State in the Causeway Classic but can’t donate on campus can go to any BloodSource and ask to enter their donation for Sac State.