Student Council will be hosting a blood drive on Feb. 14 in the small gym for the depleting blood bank at the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. GCRBC is an independent, nonprofit blood center that gathers blood through donations.

In order to be eligible to donate, students must be at least 16 years old and weigh 122 pounds or 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds. After having 173 students donate blood last year, Student Council is expecting about 200 students to get involved this year. Student Council president Caroline Anderson believes that all who are eligible should give blood.

“It’s for a really good cause,” she said. “Just by giving blood, lives could possibly be saved.”

According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone is in need of blood. That is over 41,000 people in need of blood each day.

“There are so many people who need the blood,” Student Council sponsor Rob Dombrowski said. “Giving blood would probably be the most selfless thing that we can do for the blood center right now.”

According to the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, the reason to donate is to help save lives. Every donation can help save as many as three lives. Dombrowski says he is glad to be a part of this project

.