Saturday’s homecoming football game isn’t the only competition the U is facing this week.
The fifth annual “Bleed Red” blood drive competition between Utah State University and the U will run through the rest of the week.
The U won the first “Bleed Red” competition in 2003. But for the last three years, despite having a student body that is roughly half the size of the U’s, Utah State has won the competition by donating more blood. Last year, Utah State donated 754 units of blood versus the U’s 485. The winning school will be announced during the homecoming game against Utah State.
“We’re really trying to get the community involved,” said Craig Hammond, Associated Students of the University of Utah community service director. Hammond said one reason the U has lost the competition for the past three years is because people simply don’t know about it.
ARUP blood services will be collecting blood for the competition. All donations made at the U will go to the U hospital, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Primary Children’s Medical Center or Shriners Hospitals for Children. Of the 43 hospitals in Utah, these four hospitals use roughly 25 percent of the blood transfused in the state.
Those who donate blood are not going to go away empty handed. Each donor will receive a “Bleed Red” T-shirt and be eligible to win prizes such as an Xbox 360, a $50 gas card or tickets to a suite at the stadium for the homecoming game.
Lance Bandley, ARUP community relations representative, said in order to beat Utah State, only a small percentage of U students need to donate. ARUP has a goal of drawing blood from 200 donors per day.
“Last year, we figure we had 1.6 percent of the university population donate,” Bandley said. “If we had 3 percent donate, we would absolutely destroy Utah State.”
Cora Rice, a graduate student in psychology, donated blood on Monday in the Union Ballroom. Although she “prefers not to be poked,” Rice said she came to donate blood for infants. Infants can only receive blood transfusions that is no more than a week old.
Donors should bring photo identification and plan to spend around 45 minutes to complete paper work, a mini-physical and give blood. To be eligible, participants must weigh at least 110 pounds, be 18 years old and be in generally good health.
Maegan BurrJason Parr from ARUP checks on Tiana Larsen, a freshman in Architecture, Monday at the Bleed Red blood drive.