Each year, it sets a record.

The annual Blood Drive began Monday, April 21, and went through Wednesday, April 23, at the Preston Center.

Last year, the drive produced 1,103 pints of blood for the American Red Cross, a record until it produced 1,260 pints this year. That’s a 14 percent increase.

Villa Hills senior Kathleen Hennessey, a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, said there was a steady flow of people each day – more professors, more people outside of the Greek community and more new donors.

A person is allowed to donate only one pint at a time, but the Red Cross will contact donors for future blood drives, she said.

Hennessey said it is one of the simplest ways to make a difference in another person’s life. She said one pint can save up to three lives.

“A lot of people don’t know that,” she said.

And this year, the Red Cross offered free registration for bone marrow typing. They registered about 150 people, Hennessey said.

Once registered, a person is on the marrow registry until he or she is 61 years old, she said.

“People will give more often if they are contacted,” Hennessey said.

As with every year, some people passed out. But Hennessey said most people have a really good experience.

A lot of the people are excited to get the free food, said Union junior Diane Derosa-Reynolds, a member of Kappa Delta sorority.

Kappa Delta and FarmHouse fraternity each won big screen plasma televisions for sponsoring the most donors in the drive.

Four chairs prepared the drive – two sorority members, Hennessey and Derosa-Reynolds; and two fraternity members, FarmHouse member Bryan Carrico and Sigma Phi Epsilon member Clinton Pillow.

Their goal this year was to reach 1,500 pints.

Hennessey said even though the goal wasn’t reached, she doesn’t feel like the drive was a failure.

“The Red Cross and the Greek community are able to make it bigger and bigger each year,” she said.

Carrico, a Springfield senior, said 1,500 was unrealistic. He said the realistic goal was 1,200.

“Any time we reach 1,000, it’s a good thing,” he said.

This year, they concentrated on online registration to decrease waiting time. Hennessey said it usually takes about an hour to donate. The average waiting time this year was 20 minutes, she said.

Hennessey said this was because of the larger staff from the Red Cross and the increase in volunteers from the Greek community.

And next year, there isn’t much more to it.

“Hopefully, it will grow,” Derosa-Reynolds said.

Reach Ryan W. Hunton at news@chherald.com.