As an unofficial kickoff to the annual “Bleed Red” campaign, ARUP Blood Services held a blood drive Aug. 17 at the Huntsman Cancer Institute to benefit various Salt Lake City hospitals.
The weeklong campaign, which officially begins Aug. 28, was started six years ago as a competition between students at the U and Utah State University to collect the most blood on their respective campuses. The U won the first year, but since then, USU has been dominating the blood battle.
But for the first time, the U is getting a head start. Any students who donated at the blood drive will have their blood counted toward the competition’s totals.
The “Bleed Red” campaign hopes to generate 1,000 blood units of all blood types on the U campus alone.
“We always plan for growth every year,” said Lance Bandley, supervisor of community relations for ARUP.
There were about 20 donors at the HCI for the blood drive. The majority of the donors were employees of the institute whose acts of charity did not go unrewarded. Chips and drinks, along with appreciation gifts, were provided to all the donors to replenish the 650 calories they burned giving a pint of blood. Past ARUP blood drives have even handed out gas cards, gift certificates and football tickets for donating.
ARUP requires roughly 100 people to donate blood per day, resulting in, on average, three blood drives per day throughout Utah, to meet the needs of the hospitals to which the organization provides blood. ARUP receives close to 1,800 units of blood per month, more than double the units collected monthly at the start of the decade.
The Bleed Red campaign kicks off this Friday in the Union Ballroom and at a Bloodmobile north of the Campus Store. Donors should bring photo identification and plan to spend around 45 minutes to complete paperwork, do a mini-physical and give blood. To be eligible, participants must weigh at least 110 pounds, be 18 years old and be in good health.
Julian GomezARUP held a blood drive Aug. 17 at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Students who donated will have their pints counted toward the annual Bleed Red campaign against Utah State.