The nation’s largest student-run blood drive was again a success, collecting 1,370 pints of blood in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union last week.

Jeremy Galvin, student director of Iowa State’s fall blood drive, said ISU blood drives are unique because they last longer than the typical one or two days.

“This is the only blood drive in the nation that lasts for one week,” Galvin said.

ISU also attracted several blood centers.

“This year we had seven different blood centers from seven different cities,” Galvin said. “The maximum number of pints one center can take in a day is 140 to 150.”

ISU’s donation rate exceeded those figures, especially Friday afternoon.

“On Friday, 54 people went through the Omaha center in the last half-hour. The maximum number of donors one center can usually handle during that period of time is 20,” Galvin said. “We had to turn some people away.”

In addition to the 1,370 donors, close to 400 people volunteered by handing out cookies or helping where needed. Unfortunately, Galvin said, the number of donors was down by about 300 from last fall.

“The bad weather at the beginning of the week was a factor, and it was a heavy test week,” he said.

Prizes were offered to the top two sororities, fraternities and residence hall floors with the highest percentage of donations. First place teams were Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Triangle Fraternity and Busse House. Each will receive a pizza party. Second place teams were Sigma Kappa Sorority, Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and Rambo House. These teams will get a sub sandwich party.

“Some of the houses really went after the pizza prizes,” Galvin said. Six or seven houses had a turnout of 40-50 percent.

Many sororities and fraternities also donated cookies to the blood drive. This year, Galvin said, there was an excess of cookies that was donated back to several local charities.