Students wishing to try a variety of protein drinks can visit the Student Recreation Center until Thursday, where Eastern’s Aesthetic Fitness Club will be hosting a pop-up smoothie bar.

The smoothie bar, which will be open from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday next to the front desk of the recreation center, will have vanilla, chocolate, mango/pineapple, strawberry and mixed-berry protein smoothies. Prices range from $4 to $5 depending on the drink, with the option of adding an extra scoop of protein for $1.

The main goal of the smoothie bar is to raise enough money to replace or buy new equipment for the Student Recreation Center and provide gym equipment for the Aesthetic Fitness Club to use.

The club also would like to eventually establish a permanent smoothie bar.

“We hope to make this a permanent protein bar and hire employees,” said Colton Loew, vice president of the Aesthetic Fitness Club and a senior biological sciences major.

The group is now working with members of the student government to try and make it so the bar would take dining dollars and cash.

Loew said the concept of a smoothie bar came up during a club meeting where members were thinking of fundraising ideas.

“Juan Sindac, president of the club, and (I) took that dream fundraiser and turned it into a reality,” Loew said. “We want to provide a healthy food alternative to students on campus as well as to the city of Charleston.”

The Aesthetic Fitness Club is a health and fitness club with the goal of encouraging people to adopt healthy exercise and eating habits.

Loew said anyone is able to join the club, which meets every other week at 5 p.m. on Mondays in the meeting room of the Student Recreation Center.

Andrew Paisley can be reached at 581-2812 or abpaisley@eiu.edu.