The Heartland Blood Centers want your blood.

There is a greater need for blood during the winter months and now is the last chance this semester students and faculty at NIU will be able to give blood.

The final opportunity to give blood is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in the Capitol Room of the Holmes Student Center.

This is the second year the Heartland Blood Centers have worked with NIU Student Volunteer Corps to sponsor a year_long program.

The main goal of the program is to collect 4,000 donations of blood by the end of the school year.

Blood drives take place throughout the year, a minimum of five times each month at various locations on campus.

The locations of the blood drives held throughout the year are the student center, the residence halls, the Newman Center and University Plaza.

During February, there will be 10 various blood drives on campus because the need for blood is so great.

Although the goal of 4,000 donations was not reached last year, NIU gave an extreme amount of blood donations.

“Last year we reached 3,000 blood donations,” said Zivka Petrevska, coordinator for Student Volunteer Corps.

There are 716 members in the Huskie 4000 so far this year.

According to Petrevska, the blood taken from NIU is checked very thoroughly.

“From NIU, all the blood is sent to Aurora and is tested at 33 area hospitals,” she said.

Several requirements have to be met, such as the donor has to be at least 110 pounds, he or she cannot be on antibiotics and the person has to wait eight months to give blood if he or she has had skin pierced in any way. An example would be a pierced ear, a tattoo or surgery.

For more information on the blood drive, call 1-800-786-4483 or 753-1421.