Last fall, the Ducks didn’t win the Civil War football game, but the University did win the first-ever Civil War Blood Drive. This week, Duck supporters and fans have the chance to out-bleed the Beavers again.
Throughout the week, the American Red Cross and the Lane Memorial Blood Bank bloodmobiles will set up shop outside the EMU for those who want to donate blood. The campus drive began Friday.
“It’s a good thing to do, I just want to help out others,” junior Gina Drew said before she gave blood Friday. Drew said she didn’t even know about the contest, but she was glad to find out she was donating on behalf of the University.
“I think it’s even better that I’m here,” she said.
Supporters can donate on behalf of either school at any drive location statewide, and supporters of the University can donate on campus today, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beaver fans can also start donating today at OSU’s Memorial Union.
Last year, supporters of both schools throughout the state donated nearly 5,000 units of blood. This year’s goal is 7,000 units, Assistant Director for Alumni Relations Denise Beban said. The winner of the statewide contest, which began Nov. 3 and lasts until Nov. 17, will be announced at the Civil War game at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 22.
Beban said the drive provides students who wouldn’t normally donate blood with a reason to give.
“It just brings them out to support their team,” she said.
This time of year can be rough for blood banks because donations tend to drop with seasonal illnesses and as people get tied up with the holidays.
“People tend to forget to donate,” Beban said, adding that the drive helps fill depleted supplies.
“This is a great way to bump them up right before we typically need them,” she said.
Junior Julie Whitecotton, vice president for the University Student Alumni Relations Board, which is helping to organize the drive, said people should donate to prepare for the unexpected.
“One donation of blood can save up to three lives,” she said. “It’s important to do your part because you don’t know when you’ll need it.”
Freshman Chelsey DeBois said she donates blood whenever she gets the chance, but she also likes the idea of winning the contest.
“It’s nice to save lives,” she said. “I say, ‘Take as much as you want.’”
Junior Brendan Anderson said he doesn’t care who wins, adding that he just feels donating blood is the right thing to do.
“Donating blood is not really about the Civil War,” he said. “It’s just mainly the people who want to volunteer.”
Anderson, who bragged about his big veins, said he has donated blood 13 times.
“I kind of feel obligated to,” he said. “I’m O positive.”
People with group O blood types are “universal donors” and can donate blood to people with all blood types, according to the American Red Cross.
Anderson also said his love of extreme sports may someday put him in the position of needing blood, and he wants to do his part now for “good karma.”
OSU senior Mathieu Bondurant said donating is important because many people know someone who has needed blood at one point.
“I think it’s important to help out not only your friends, but people around the United States,” he said.
Bondurant is the co-chairman of an OSU committee that organizes the school’s three yearly blood drives. He said his school will be stepping things up a notch to win this year’s contest.
“I think this year, we have a better chance,” he said.
OSU Assistant Director for Alumni Programs Janice Lentsch said that while OSU technically brought in more pints of blood last year, the University won because it met its campus drive goal and OSU did not. She said the competition at the campus level was based on the universities’ goals instead of the number of pints collected because of OSU’s strong history of blood drives put the University at a disadvantage.
“We felt that it was only fair to give the U of O a chance,” Lentsch said.
OSU collected 926 pints on campus for a total of 2,720 pints statewide, while the University collected 151 pints on campus for a statewide total of 2,152 pints. This year, Lentsch said the campus drive will be a pint-for-pint point system.
“Yes, U of O got the trophy, but OSU brought in more pints of blood,” she said. “But really, the real winners were the patients.”
Donors should be at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds or more. Giving blood takes about one hour, but donors can schedule an appointment to save some time. Information is available by calling the Lane Memorial Blood Bank at (541) 484-9111.