The next time senior Casey Briere donates blood, he will have cumulatively given a gallon.

Briere has given blood seven times and will be eligible for his eighth donation in about four weeks. Each time he goes a unit (500 mL) of blood gets extracted from his arm. There are eight units in a gallon.

Briere feels obligated to donate his blood. “(I want to) give back,” Briere said.

On New Year’s Eve, 1999, Briere (then four) was at a friend’s house. “I saw a toy on top of this big old shelf,” Briere said. In order to get the toy he climbed up. “The shelf wasn’t screwed to the wall, and it fell on my head.” Briere’s head was cracked open and he had to receive six units of blood.

Senior Nate Eggleston also likes to give blood. He donates to the military blood centers and to Live Serve. “The reason why I give blood to the military is so the Army doesn’t have to go buy blood from the Red Cross or other organizations,” Eggleston said.

While the process of having blood drawn may not be the most appealing process Briere isn’t fazed by it. “With the poking little needle (you) don’t feel anything.” Briere said. “I don’t like to see the needle and I always have them cover the needle up with a cloth.”

Getting blood drawn used to be unnerving to Eggleston. “I used to have a fear of needles and pass out after every shot or blood draw,” Eggleston said.

When Eggleston went to basic training, he got over his fear quickly. “Now when I give blood, I have no problems,” Eggleston said.

The driving force behind Eggleston’s donations is his empathy for wounded soldiers. “I give blood to help people who have suffered a greater loss than I have yet to face,” Eggleston said. “I know how much blood can be lost in a war, I’ve been told and shown.”

Giving blood can also be enjoyable.

Briere has fun giving blood. “My mom does it with me a lot of the times,” Briere said. “It feels good.”