Blood, Free Tees and Rivalries: USU Blood Drive

American Red Cross workers huddled up outside the locked Taggart Student Center early Monday morning waiting to begin the annual blood drive.

Wrapped in blankets with hands buried deep inside their pockets they withstood the frigid dawn air waiting to begin taking blood donations from early rising students.

The drive will be held this week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the TSC Lounges.

The ARC has a number of ways of advertising blood drives including personal phone calls, announcements on the radio and posters comparing donors to heroes and showing pictures and stories of patients using the blood.

“It doesn’t take much for you to sit down and donate a pint of your blood,” said Kimberly Houk, a spokeswoman for the ARC.

That is something the Red Cross loves to remind people of. Students have bought in.

“I think (Red Cross advertisements) are more inspirational than anything else… in the end people will feel better about themselves if the ad campaigns try to inspire people on an emotional level,” said Stephanie Hall, a wildlife science major.

Kaylee Paeth who is studying social work echoed that sentiment.

“If an article or person is being over-excited about donating blood, it deters me,” said Kaylee Paeth who is studying social work. “If they first tried guilting me into it I’d automatically say no.”

However, advertising might not be the only way people hear and learn about the Red Cross, and it doesn’t mean that everyone who sees advertisements will respond.

“We can’t speculate on what our ads make people do,” Houk said. “We just state the facts.”

And the facts are pretty simple, if someone donates one pint of blood, it can help save up to three people. “In our eyes, that makes you a hero,” Houk said.

On average, through students and others who participate annually, USU donates about 1,000 pints of blood are donated at this Blood Battle.

“This year we are hoping to get 1,200 people to donate,” Houk said. “With that many donations, about 3,600 people could be helped.”

In addition to donating blood, USU hopes to win in the rivalry with Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University Weber State University, Westminster College and Dixie State University by getting more donations than them. Students can sign up by either making an appointment online here or by stopping by the TSC lounges.