UD to participate in Colonial Athletic Association Blood Challenge Nov. 14

3:56 p.m., Oct. 11, 2012--The University of Delaware will attempt to retain its title as it once again participates in the Colonial Athletic Association Have a Heart Blood Challenge, with this year’s blood drive scheduled on Wednesday, Nov. 14.

The annual competition, currently in its 11th year, pits the schools in the CAA against each other to see which one can get the most donors. UD has taken the title five times, including in 2011 when the University held the largest one-day blood drive in Delaware with 1,086 donors.

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Locations include the Multipurpose Rooms of the Trabant University Center, which will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; the Perkins Student Center, from noon to 6 p.m.; Pencader Hall, from noon to 6 p.m.; and the Bob Carpenter Center, also from noon to 6 p.m.

The CAA Blood Challenge is open to the public, and appointments are recommended. To make an appointment to give blood, call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8 or visit the Blood Bank of Delmarva website.

 This year, everyone who donates to the CAA Blood Challenge at the Trabant University Center or the Bob Carpenter Center will receive one free ticket to the Blue Hens’ football home game against Villanova University on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 3:30 p.m.

Each CAA institution designates one day during the fall semester to conduct a campuswide blood drive. With the assistance of local blood service centers, a count is kept of all people who donate blood on that day. Based on those numbers, the CAA determines a winner and presents a trophy to that institution.

UD will be the final school to participate in the challenge this year. The College of William and Mary, the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Georgia State University have already held their events.

Members with dates upcoming are Drexel University (Oct. 18), James Madison University (Oct. 23), Northeastern University (Oct. 29), Hofstra University (Oct. 30), Old Dominion University (Nov. 8), George Mason University (Nov. 12) and Towson University (Nov. 12).

Last year’s event produced record-setting numbers for the ninth straight year with 5,232 actual donors and 5,287 productive units of blood collected from the CAA campuses. That total represented a 12 percent increase in the amount of blood collected from the 2010 challenge and is more than four times the amount that was collected during the inaugural campaign in 2002. 

The CAA Blood Challenge has resulted in 32,106 productive units of blood since it began. All 12 CAA institutions had at least 115 donors participate in the program last year.

The CAA Blood Challenge was developed by the conference presidents as a fun way to emphasize the critical importance of donating blood. Each institution promotes the event on campus and encourages student groups, faculty, staff and alumni to participate and support their school.