The Kappa Alpha fraternity will coordinate a blood drive with Mississippi Blood Services Wednesday and Thursday.
The drive will last from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. The blood drive will be held at the KA house.
KA philanthropy chairman Hanson Walker said this is the first blood drive the fraternity has hosted.
“We are hoping to make it an annual event,” Walker said.
The blood drive is expected to be one of the biggest in the state, he said. The fraternity set a goal to achieve 40 pints of blood donated each day of the drive.
Walker said there is no need for appointments to be made and that people can just show up to give blood whenever they get a chance.
Each donor will receive a free T-shirt, and the fraternity will be selling raffle tickets for a chance to win an Apple iPod.
Freshman industrial technology major and KA member Tim Striegel said he is planning on giving blood. Striegel has given blood in the past, and he said it is important for everyone to donate if they can.
“Giving blood can help people in need, and it can help save lives,” Striegel said.
Freshman business administration major Brandon Wilson said he is planning on donating blood at the drive.
He said that he had given blood before and it was a good experience for the most part. It is important for donors to eat and drink something after they give blood., he added.
“I think the blood drive will be very successful because I think a lot of people are going to give blood,” Wilson said.
Walker said the fraternity held a golf tournament three weeks ago to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The fraternity also had a golf tournament during the 2005 fall semester.