The second American Red Cross ‘Are you up for the challenge?: Give Blood’ competition kicked off Wednesday in the Goldstein Auditorium of Schine Student Center.

About 135 students, faculty and staff donated between 85 and 90 pints of blood at the event, said Lynn Fox, senior account manager of the Red Cross.

The event is aimed to raise awareness of the competition that will take place between Syracuse University and the University of Connecticut during a one-week period in April to see which school can raise more blood.

UConn beat out SU in the first challenge last April, with 2.95 percent of UConn’s student body donating blood compared to SU’s 1.66 percent, according to a Jan. 28 SU News Services release. Organizers said they hope this preregistration event, which was not held last year, will help SU win the contest in the spring.

‘We are trying to kick it off in February so people will know about the one in April,’ said Bridget Yule, director of student centers and programming services.

Yule said the Red Cross is on campus almost every week for both sponsored and unsponsored blood drives, but this competition creates the unique chance to make it fun for students.

The drive coincided with the SU vs. UConn men’s basketball game, which was projected on screens in the auditorium for people waiting to donate or resting afterward. Otto the Orange was on hand, along with members of Otto’s Army.

Brian Roberts, vice president of Otto’s Army, said he hopes mixing in school spirit will help increase SU students’ participation in the blood drive.

‘Hopefully it drives a couple more to donate, and it drives up the numbers a little bit,’ he said. ‘And people who wouldn’t normally donate, donate just because it’s a competition.’

Members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, who were on hand as co-sponsors of the event and performed a step number at halftime of the basketball game, said the blood drive provides a unique opportunity.

‘It’s great for school spirit,’ said Jacqwel Brown, a fraternity member. ‘Everybody can’t play basketball, everybody can’t play football. But you can give blood. You can come support your school.’

Brandon Haye, vice president of the fraternity, said students do not expect others to donate blood and should take the extra step and donate themselves.

‘People should not fear giving blood,’ Haye said. ‘There’s always a need for it.’

That need is especially great as the winter weather causes many problems for the Red Cross, Fox said. If high schools or colleges shut down because of bad weather, they lose some of their primary blood drive locations and donators, she said.

Fox said some people are unable or unwilling to go to donation centers in the snow. At SU in particular, Winter Break is an entire month during which students are not on campus to give blood.

‘The cold weather here affects us,’ Fox said. ‘People don’t come out, and it actually hurts the blood supply. Hospitals don’t get exactly what they’re calling for.’

The Red Cross’ goal for the day was to get 60 pints of blood. Students said they would have donated whether or not it was a special event, but the competition with UConn didn’t hurt.

‘I think it’s good because a lot of people like sports on campus,’ said Mike Scholtz, a senior landscape architecture major. ‘Usually when you give blood, it’s kind of dismal and boring, but this is kind of exciting.’

Jade Farentinos, a freshman entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises major, said the competitive aspect is another reason for students to donate.

‘I would donate anyway,’ Farentinos said, ‘but I think it gives an extra reason to.’

ampelc@syr.edu

 

Published on February 2, 2011 at 12:00 pm