Blood Battle Returns to USU Campus for 21st Year

Entering its 21st year, Utah State University and the Christensen Office of Social Action will host the annual Blood Battle, supporting the American Red Cross. The blood drive pits USU against Weber State University to see which school can get the most life-saving donations.

Donors of all blood types are encouraged to donate and help supply the American Red Cross with much-needed blood donations to address an urgent need in the United States. The competition will be Sept. 3-6 in the Taggart Student Center Lounges from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. each day. All donors will receive a 2024 Blood Battle T-shirt.

“A friendly competition is a fantastic way to motivate people,” said USU President Elizabeth Cantwell. “We’ve been doing this for over two decades, and it aligns perfectly with our land-grant mission of serving the community. With blood donations dwindling this year, we urge everyone in our community who is eligible to come out, donate and make a significant Aggie impact. Let’s reclaim the title and save lives in the process.”

Since the competition’s inception in 2003, the schools have combined to donated nearly 20,000 units of blood to the American Red Cross. USU has won the competition each of the last five years.

“We are excited to bring the Blood Battle back for its 21st year and to partner with the American Red Cross,” said Nelda Ault-Dyslin, assistant director of Community-Engaged Learning. “This is a great competition that we have with Weber State every year. We know that the Aggie community will help us reach our donation goals of 500 units and help save as many lives as we can.”

Appointments are recommended, but walk-ins will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. Students, faculty, staff and community members are all invited to donate toward a good cause. Appointments will begin at 9 a.m. and run through 6 p.m. each day. Donors can make an appointment by visiting https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=bleedblue. Parking vouchers will be available for donors who park in Big Blue or Aggie Terraces.

Volunteers are also needed to help support the drive by staffing the check-in table and refreshment table. Volunteers can sign up by visiting AggiePulse.

COSAS invites all USU clubs and organizations to support by inviting their membership to donate under their organization’s name. Donors can state which group they belong to, and the group with the highest number of donors will win Aggie Ice Cream and Chick-fil-A meals for their members. Staff, faculty and alumni can give the organization of their choice a boost by donating under that group’s name.

Blood donors can save time at their next donation by using Red Cross’s RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at www.RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass. This will help speed up the check-in process on the day of donation.

When it comes to blood transfusions, many people think about emergency situations and traumatic operations. While blood is crucial in these situations, it is also needed for long-awaited transplant surgeries, cancer treatments and patients who depend on regular transfusions for life. A blood shortage jeopardizes all these procedures.

Where: Taggart Student Center lounges (second floor).