Tuesday PM headlines: Utah State blood drive competition, fundraiser for Hawaii relief efforts

Blood drive events on USU

For the past 19 years, Utah State University has beat Weber State University in “blood drive battles” and the Aggies say they don’t plan on losing this year. The blood drive will take place September 5-8 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Students who participate may receive prizes.

Kirsten Stuart, the communications and public affairs associate with the American Red Cross, stated that in the past years, these so-called blood battles have led to over 19,000 units of blood being donated.

She said that with low donation numbers over the summer months, these events help patients immensely. These blood donations will help patients in Utah hospitals, as well as victims of natural disasters around the nation, including the recent Hurricane Hilary on the West Coast and the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii.

When you donate, you can track where your donation may travel and receive a letter of thanks stating which hospital it went to and how it helped save an individual’s life.

Find a blood drive near you.

Former U of U football player donates towards wildfires in Hawaii

Lauvale Sape, a former University of Utah star football player, is raising funds and essential supplies for the aftermath of the wildfires in Hawaii.

Sape played for the University of Utah from 1999 to 2002 and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2003.

Sape and his wife are joined by another former Ute, Kawika Casco, who is currently a firefighter in Maui. They are raising funds for Maui fire relief with a matching campaign called Aloha Kekahi I Kekahi, which means “Love One Another.”

The Utah-based group states that its mission is to “put Aloha into action within Utah’s Asian Pacific Islander community. Elevating others by focusing on health, sports, arts, education, and community service.”