MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Student Senate at Northwest Missouri State University is sponsoring its annual fall blood drive this week to boost blood supplies in northwest Missouri.

According to a news release, the Student Senate annually sponsors fall, winter and spring blood drives in cooperation with the Community Blood Center which is the primary supplier of blood and blood components to local hospitals and medical centers.

This fall, for the second consecutive year, the Community Blood Center recognized Northwest and its Student Senate as the top university among participating institutions in the area. Northwest donors provided 768 units of blood, more than 530 more than the second-place university.

Blood from volunteer donors assists cancer patients recovering from the rigors of chemotherapy, auto accident victims needing blood for emergency surgeries or mothers needing blood as the result of traumatic birth deliveries. It is estimated three lives are saved with every unit collected.

The blood drive takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Tower View Room, located on the third floor of the J.W. Jones Student Union.

Interested donors may register online by visiting www.savealifenow.org. Click the “Schedule an appointment” icon and enter the code: NWMSU.

For more information, contact Student Senate’s Civic Committee at (660) 562-1218 or the Community Blood Center at (800) 245-7035.