Weber State out for blood this week with collection ‘battle’

OGDEN — Weber State and Utah State universities are in a friendly competition this week to see which institution can produce the most donated blood to the American Red Cross.

The annual American Red Cross Blood Battle will be held Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dee Events Center then Thursday and Friday at the Shepherd Union Building on WSU campus.

Each school has a goal of collecting 500 units of blood. This is WSU’s 20th year participating in donations for the Red Cross.

“Everybody wins when we donate blood, and there are no losers in this battle,” said WSU President Brad Mortensen. “But we do love a little friendly competition.”

Last year, 332 donations were provided to the American Red Cross of Utah through WSU, making the school the largest sponsor in Weber and Box Elder counties.

“The American Red Cross is thankful for the community for supporting Weber State in hosting this blood drive,” said Michael Smauldon, executive director of the Northern Utah Chapter of the American Red Cross. “For 20 years, this blood battle has really brought the Northern Utah community together to save lives.”

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood or platelets, according to redcrossblood.org. A single car accident victim may end up needing as many as 100 units of blood to survive.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.9 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year. Many will need blood over the course of their treatment.

Donors can register for appointments in advance by downloading the American Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-733-2767. Use the sponsor code “Bleed Purple” to support WSU.

Anyone on campus or in the community is invited to donate.

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