NEW ULM–The American Red Cross Blood Mobile visited the New Ulm Civic Center Wednesday afternoon to take much need blood donation from New Ulm area residents.

The Blood Mobile will remain at the Civic Center from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. today (Thursday) and 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday. The goal is to get around 150 donations a day.

Terry Sveine was one the first to donate Wednesday. Sveine has been donating blood since he was 17. He said it was an appropriate day to donate since it was his father’s birthday on Wednesday and his dad was the one the pushed him to start donating.

“He said it is the easiest and least painful way you can help people,” Sveine said.

Sveine’s is one of the few people with O Negative blood, making him a universal donor. Only about seven percent of the population have O Negative blood.

“When I lived in Rochester the Mayo Clinic kept calling me in because I have an enzyme in my blood that is good for newborns,” Sveine said. Now that his lives in New Ulm he continues to donate blood often because it is one of the only places in the world you can get a Schell’s beer after donating.

Red Cross Coordinator Ellen Friedrich said they are always looking for O Blood Type and encouraged everyone who can donate to visit the Civic Center in the next two days.

With a goal of 148 units of blood on Wednesday, the bloodmobile collected 124 units. Gallon pins were presented to Wally Sagmoen, 2 gallons; Jason Seidl, five gallons; Donny Sellner, 11 gallons, and Rodger Bosshart, 22 gallons.