Students can save up to three lives each this week as El Camino is hosting a blood drive Tuesday through Thursday in the Student Activities Center East lounge.

The EC Inter-Club Council partnered with the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to put on the event. The event is designed to help medical patients and to encourage students to become regular donors in the future.

Blood Drive coordinator, Cheryl Berlow, set up the event and spoke of the value it holds for students.

“Every pint donated can save up to three lives, and Cedars uses over 60,000 pints of blood a year,” Berlow said. “So by going out in the community and getting young people in particular to donate blood, they become lifelong donors.”

Students can make an appointment in advance, or simply walk in if they wish to donate as long as they meet the health requirements.

“Most people are eligible to donate, we check your pulse, your iron count, your temperature, and your blood pressure to make sure it’s safe and healthy for you to donate,” Berlow said.

Students are receiving t-shirts and coupons for free ice cream for their donations and the goal is to have at least 100 pints of blood donated per day, Berlow said.

With the first day of donations in the books, students are sharing their positive experiences.

“It was a pretty good experience, I chose to donate because it makes me feel good as a person helping people,” Martin Orozco, 23, chemistry major said.

Jessica Romero, 20, chemistry major said she’s donated over 10 times now, and chooses to donate because of her O+ blood type, which can be taken by a patient with any blood type.

The blood drive continues tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Student Activities Center East lounge.