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Biggest blood drive ever planned at UD 2:32 p.m., Nov. 7, 2003--Last year, University of Delaware President David Roselle challenged the 10 member institutions of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) to a friendly competition to save lives by seeing which school could recruit the most donors during a one-day blood drive. CAA agreed to organize the Have a Heart Blood Challenge last fall, and, in November UD beat out all other schools by recruiting 374 donors. This year, the competition is expected to stiffen; but all intentions are to keep the trophy in Delaware. The Blood Bank of Delaware/Eastern Shore (BBDES) rolls onto campus on Wednesday, Nov. 19, for what could be the biggest one-day blood drive in its history. Donors will be drawn from 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and record numbers are expected. Walk-ins will be taken, but donors are encouraged to call 1-888-825-6638 to make an appointment. The public is welcome to attend. Fans, alumni, and friends of UD in southern Delaware can also participate by donating at the Lewes Senior Center, 301A Nassau Park Rd., from 1-6 p.m., Nov. 19. All donors will receive a free T-shirt; radio station, The River (94.7 FM), will be on hand all day with music and prizes; and special entertainment will be provided by the UD Cheerleaders and mascot, YoUDee. BBDES will incorporate staff from many centers to process the large number of donors expected, as UD tries to, again, recruit more donors than any other CAA school. All 10 CAA schoolsUD; University of North Carolina Wilmington; Drexel, George Mason, Hosftra, James Madison, Old Dominion, Towson, and the Virginia Commonwealth universities; and the College of William and Maryare competing again this fall to see which school can attract the most blood donors in one day. Last year, UDs 374 processed donors accounted for 25 percent of all the donors who participated in the conference challenge. BBDES is trying to make donation as convenient as possible for students on the Delmarva peninsula, traveling to a total of 68 area high schools and colleges for more than 90 drives a year. The University of Delaware is an integral part of the school blood drive program, and with this competition, will encourage more students to donate throughout the year. BBDES is a nonprofit community service organization, which provides blood for the 18 hospitals and seven renal care centers throughout Delmarva. More than 70,000 blood donations are needed each year for patients in the local area. To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |