The Interact Club will host the annual blood drive on Feb. 13 outside of the gym, and for club president senior Uriel Velazquez, blood donations are personal. His uncle became very sick, was hospitalized, and needed a lot of blood to ultimately save his life.

Active member in Interact for four years, Uriel aims to get as many people as possible to participate in this year’s blood drive.

“This experience affected me because it pushed me to motivate people,” Uriel said.

Stanford Blood Center representative Monica Doleshel-Aguirre presented information to the Interact Club on Jan. 19 about the drive and its importance to a community. Requirements in order to participate include being at least 16 years old. Participants can earn an hour of community service or parent hours.

Last year, the blood drive saw huge success. The drive beat its goal of 30 pints and collected 37 pints of donated blood. This year’s goal is 35 pints and so far 67 people have signed up, according to Art teacher Linda Filo, who is the Interact Club adviser.

Donating a pint of blood takes about 15 minutes, depending on how hydrated one is, so donors should drink lots of water ahead of time, Monica said. Before donating, donors will answer a quick Q&A about their medical history. Stanford medical personnel will help ensure that each donor is eligible to donate. After donating, there will be snacks and drinks from the organization to help with recovery.

Each pint of blood can contribute to saving the lives of four or more patients. The blood will be distributed based on its properties, platelets, white blood cells, red blood cells and plasma.

“It is our mission to donate as much blood and save as many lives as possible,” Monica said.

Uriel emphasized that this is an opportunity for students to have a new experience. Many people don’t know about their blood type and could learn it through this while also feeling the satisfaction of helping save lives.