Hurricane Sandy left a lot of damage in its path two weeks ago as it battered the East Coast. Replacing what was lost will take a while, but some just cannot afford that time.

About 375 blood drives across the country have been cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, leaving the Red Cross short thousands of units of blood and platelets.

This loss of available blood donations could become a problem without an extra effort by people not affected by the storm.

The American Red Cross hosted a blood drive in Creighton’s Skutt Student Center Ballroom Monday at Tuesday. Although blood donations are always needed and appreciated, the Red Cross has been pushing especially hard for more donations in the wake of the recent hurricane. In order to increase the number of donors, the Red Cross encourages some people to face a fear and become first-time donors.

Most people who donate blood feel the rewarding feeling of donating far outweighs the initial pinch of the needle.

“I usually don’t like shots or things like

that, but it was so worth being brave. I would absolutely do it again,” said Arts & Sciences sophomore Karli Hunton, who donated for her first time.

The Skutt Ballroom was constantly full of donors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both donation days. It was awesome to see so many students there, willing to sacrifice their time. Many, however, did not know how much of their time would be spent simply waiting.

Despite the hour-long wait for some, most students were able to stay and donate, because they knew that it could not be more worth it: each donation can save up to three lives. Creighton’s Arts & Sciences Senate hosted this blood drive, asking students to do what they can, because the need for blood has only increased since Sandy.

There are many benefits to donating blood: free cookies and juice, a lot of stickers and “your body burns tons of calories making the blood back,” said Arts & Sciences sophomore Taylor Thompson, a member of the Arts & Sciences Senate. The fun aspects of what could be a scary experience really make giving blood an enjoyable activity, making it easy to return for another visit.