“I saved four lives today,” said junior Kendall Gross, just minutes after donating blood at the fourth annual Blood Bowl. “It’s all about helping others.”
Chatting with fellow donors, and snacking on cookies and pizza, Gross is just one of the several hundred students that are expected to give blood this week. Organized by the American Red Cross, and located in the Union’s multi- purpose room, the blood drive runs Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“One hour of your time basically, can save a lifetime,” said Linda Hartman of the American Red Cross. “One pint saves up to three lives.”
The Red Cross is heavily dependent on blood drives like this one at Bowling Green, and each year around 70 percent of the donations to the Lake Eerie Red Cross come from blood drives at schools and universities. And Bowling Green has historically contributed more blood than any other institution in the region.
“We need about 900 students to walk though the doors,” Hartman said. “We need 300 pints a day for our contracts in 23 Northwest Ohio hospitals, and Bowling Green usually makes up half of that.”
In hopes of increasing the number of donors at both BG and UT, the Red Cross created the Blood Bowl in 2002. Donating students now receive a Blood Bowl T-shirt and a blood drive pin, and the winning school between the two rivalries receives a traveling plaque and is honored during the third quarter of the football game between the two rivals.
“It’s been very successful for Bowling Green, but even more successful for UT even though we beat them,” Hartman said. “Patients have really seen the benefits. Bowling Green’s numbers have increased and UT’s numbers have really increased. They used to do 50 to 60 a day and now they’re doing 90 a day.”
Despite the recent increase of UT donors, Bowling Green has won each of the last three Blood Bowls, but many of the donors aren’t even aware of the competition.
“I didn’t even know it was a competition. It’s like we compete in everything,” said freshman donor, Ashley Morton. “I know that it can help, and it doesn’t take too much time so I figured why not.”
Morton, who had donated in high school, hates needles but feels the need to give regardless.
“I cried the first time I gave blood, so it gets interesting,” Morton said. “I just figured I could get over it because I know it helps people with bigger problems.”
With over 25 staff members and 70 student volunteers, the Red Cross is hopeful that this year’s Blood Bowl will be successful and hopes it encourages students to continue to donate in the future.
“Our hope is to get them going and remain going,” Hartman said. “And when they get out in the corporate world we need them to get other people to donate blood.”
