The first of three NIU Blood Commission blood drives, in conjunction with Heartland Blood Centers, begins at 2:30 p.m. today in Neptune Hall’s Northeast Meeting Room.

There is a serious need for blood during January, as more blood products are used during January than other months, said Staci Hove, marketing representative for Heartland. People wait to have surgery until after the holidays when they have time, she said.

In honor of January’s National Volunteer Blood Donor Month, all donors will receive a $25 gift certificate that can be redeemed at area restaurants, including Starbusters Bar & Grill, 930 Pappas Drive, and Johnny’s Charhouse, 1950 DeKalb Ave. “We’re [Heartland] doing that as a token of appreciation for those who donate,” Hove said.

Heartland, the oldest blood center in Illinois, supplies blood to 36 area hospitals, and the blood collected during the drive will go directly to hospitals, such as Kishwaukee Community Hospital, 626 Bethany Road, and Kindred Hospital in Sycamore, 225 Edward St.

NIU hopes to collect 1,000 units of blood this school year, Hove said. About 500 units already have been collected.

At individual drives, Heartland hopes to collect at least 35 units of blood, Hove said.

“Every donation saves three people,” said NIU Blood Commission President Melanie Maples.

The NIU Blood Commission serves to promote and advertise blood drives and make people more aware of where the donated blood goes, Maples said.

In March or April, the commission plans to team up with Eastern Illinois University for a competition to see which school can collect the most blood.

Eligible donors must be at least 110 pounds, at least 17 years old and healthy the day of the drive. Also, donors should not have received any tattoos or body piercings within the last year.

Only 5 percent of those eligible donate blood, Hove said.

“[There’s] always a desperate need for blood,” she said. DeKalb especially relies on Heartland for blood supplies.

No one knows when they’ll be in a situation in which they need blood, said Karen Castelein, faculty adviser for the Commission.

“It’s a life-giving thing,” she said. “It’s just one way to give and help others.”

For more information on area blood drives, visit Heartland’s Web site at www.heartlandbc.org.