Approximately five hundred and forty lives were saved on Feb. 16 in Buddig Hall.

The blood drive, started by David Vumbaco, biology freshman, was an idea he developed in high school to increase the number of donors through an organized event and positive incentives.

After applying for Activities Coordinator for Residential Life at Loyola, Vumbaco pushed for a semester to have the money allocated from Residential Life.

In order to begin preparations, Vumbaco spoke with Ochsner Hospital, the blood bank holder, about coming to Loyola for the drive. Immediately, Maria Luce, Ochsner’s Blood Bank correspondent for Vumbaco, came to Loyola and checked out the 12th floor of Buddig Hall.

Once the site received approval, Vumbaco looked for incentives to finance his allocated money. A few incentives he offered students were food, movies, a bookstore raffle and shirts.

On the first day of promoting the event Vumbaco and his 11th floor ‘support group’ signed up 178 — 180 people within four hours. The limit Ochsner gave to Vumbaco was 150-160, however, Vumbaco said after the various rejections that will need to be made for specific blood related reasons, but will be down to the expected amount.

“I was expecting about 40-100 people, and I did my best to make it (the expected amount of people) untrue,” Vumbaco said.

Vumbaco said the large number of sign-ups came from the various prize incentives, unlike with the ‘blood-mobile.’

Loyola hosted frequent blood-mobiles, which supplied only two to three nurses and no on-site doctors to help supervise the blood drive and offered no incentives.

He said the van had no sign-ups and came on a first come first serve basis.

Vumbaco said he hoped the van still comes to Loyola’s campus because it’s a “good thing.”

Vumbaco said, regardless of his blood drive or the blood mobile, “You’re giving part of yourself to them… and it’s huge.”

Rachel Funel can be reached at [email protected].