UD seeks fourth straight CAA blood drive title

9:29 a.m., Oct. 20, 2005--If your blood type is True Blue positive, help support a great cause and continue a winning tradition, by signing up now to donate blood on Wednesday, Nov. 16, when UD defends its Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) “Have A Heart” Blood Challenge title.

Blood Bank of Delmarva staff members will visit UD to collect blood donations from 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., in the Multipurpose Room of the Trabant University Center. Sponsors include the Resident Student Association, HOLA and Kappa Alpha Theta.

After giving blood, donors can enjoy Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, compliments of UD Dining Services, and soft drinks, compliments of Coca-Cola. T-shirts will be provided by the Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD).

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The River (94.7 FM) will be on hand with music and prizes. YoUDee and members of the UD cheerleading and dance teams will appear throughout the day to provide entertainment and encouragement to donors and BBD staff members.

University of Delaware President David P. Roselle said that members of the UD community have shown their strong support of a great cause with their record-setting participation in previous CAA blood challenges.

"UD won the first three blood challenges, and we are delighted that our colleagues, especially our students, have shown their school spirit by participating in a competition that helps save lives," Roselle said. "The CAA blood drive combines school spirit, fun and a sense of friendly competition, all to benefit persons in need in our communities, truly a win-win situation for everyone."

UD won its third consecutive “Have A Heart” Blood Challenge last year, with a record number of attempted donors (857) and units of blood collected (588). During the largest single-day blood drive in the history of Blood Bank of Delmarva, UD more than doubled its number of attempted donors while collecting 277 more units than the previous year.

With yet another record number of donors expected, advanced registration is recommended, but walk-ins also will be welcome. Potential donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good general health and have had no tattoos or body piercings in the last 12 months. Donors should remember to eat a good meal within three hours of donating.

The 2004 CAA “Have A Heart” Blood Challenge resulted in 2,929 attempted donors and 2,114 productive units of blood from the 10 participating campuses, a 50 percent increase over the 2003 totals and an 81.5 percent increase from the inaugural blood challenge in 2002.

During the 2004 Blood Challenge, seven CAA institutions had more than 100 donors participate in the program and four had 300 or more attempted donors.

Following three-time defending champion UD last year were Drexel University, with 625 attempted donors and 509 units of blood collected. Towson University collected 277 units of blood.

“The CAA Blood Challenge has been unbelievably successful and has become a source of pride for the conference and its member institutions,” CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager said. “The enthusiasm and participation on each of our campuses has been outstanding and continues to grow each year. Our ability to enhance each community’s blood supply is incredibly important, and I applaud the institutions for undertaking this life-saving project.”

Joining UD in this year’s CAA Blood Challenge are the University of North Carolina, Wilmington; Drexel; George Mason; Hofstra; James Madison; Old Dominion; Towson and the Virginia Commonwealth universities; and the College of William and Mary.

To sign up now to donate blood Nov. 16 at the Trabant University Center, call BBD at (302) 737-8400 or (800) 628-4008.

The CAA Blood Challenge was developed in 2002 at the suggestion of UD President David P. Roselle as a fun way to emphasize the critical importance of donating blood. Each institution promotes the event on its campus and encourages student groups, faculty, staff and alumni to participate and support their school.

Article by Jerry Rhodes

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