A football game isn’t the only thing Michigan and Ohio
State University compete in every year.
The 23rd annual Blood Battle begins Monday and lasts until Nov.
19. The contest, organized by co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi
Omega, pits the schools against each other to see who can donate
the most pints of blood to the American Red Cross.
The winning university gets a trophy in the shape of a blood
drop. Michigan has won about half of the past Blood Battles but
lost by about 92 pints last year.
Despite losing the Blood Battle, Michigan won the football game
against Ohio State last year. “We call it The Curse,”
said LSA junior Stephanie Taylor, the Blood Battle chair of Alpha
Phi Omega. “Whoever wins the football game always ends up
losing the blood battle. We are trying to break that this
year.”
Erin Ferris, the Washtenaw County blood services volunteer
coordinator for the Red Cross, said, “That is just something
that’s been floating around for years past. Obviously, we
want to win the game and the Blood Battle.”
Ferris added that the donation goal this year is 1,800 pints for
each university for a combined total of 3,600 pints. One person
donates about one pint of blood. “That’s fairly close
to how many people donate every year. We always try to increase the
number.”
LSA freshman Kia Sweeney said she is considering donating blood.
“I feel like you should do it to help save someone’s
life,” she said.
Blood donation sites will be in most residence halls, as well as
the Michigan Union and other University buildings. To be eligible
for transfusion, donors must be healthy, at least 17 years old, at
least 110 pounds and cannot have donated blood in the past 56
days.
For more information or to make a donation appointment, students
should visit www.givelife.org or www.umbloodbattle.org.
All appointments for blood donations are between 2:00 p.m. and
7:45 p.m.
Big Ten showdown
Nov. 8: Mosher-Jordan, Bursley residence halls
Nov. 9: Cheseborough Auditorium in Chrysler Center
Nov. 10: Michigan League, Alice Lloyd residence hall
Nov. 11: Markley, West Quad residence halls
Nov. 12: Stockwell, East Quad residence halls
Nov. 14: St. Mary’s Student Parish
Nov. 15: South Quad residence hall
Nov. 15-19: Michigan Union
Nov. 17: Pierpont Commons