Clemson to hold annual Blood Bowl on main campus from Nov. 18-22

Clemson will hold the 40th annual Blood Bowl competition from Nov. 18 through Nov. 22. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are encouraged to participate in this week-long blood donation drive, in association with the Blood Connection and the American Red Cross, to make life-saving medical contributions to the Upstate area and help Clemson earn a victory over rival University of South Carolina in total donations.

Fourteen locations are planned across campus, accepting donations from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. during the week. The Blood Connection is overseeing 11 buses, as well as a permanent indoor space in Hendrix Student Center, while the American Red Cross will manage one bus and a space in the Barnes Center. Walk-ins are welcome, but participants are also able to make appointments directly through the Blood Connection and the American Red Cross.

The Blood Bowl is organized by Alpha Phi Omega (APO), a co-ed national service fraternity that gives back to the community in all shapes and forms - volunteer work, donation drives and more - all while operating under the pillars of "leadership, friendship and service." Blood Bowl is the largest service project APO organizes and represents the largest collegiate blood drive in the nation.

This year, senior elementary education major Lindsey Schmidt and junior biological sciences major Caroline Graybeal are coordinating the drive, and both are optimistic about the impact it will have on Clemson and the local area.

"Something I appreciate about Blood Bowl is how it has become ingrained in the Clemson community," says Graybeal. "It's really special to see how everybody gets together every year to donate; people are going in groups of friends - they are there to hang out and have fun. I think it's really special to watch the people of Clemson unite toward this common cause to help the community and beat USC."

"Another reason I like it is because the donation centers we work with only serve our area - the Upstate," Schmidt echoes. "Your donation can directly impact someone you know on a personal level. You can't get that in a lot of places."

While making a positive impact on the community is rewarding enough, each donor also receives incentives for their blood donation. The Blood Connection will be providing a $30 E-gift card and a sweatshirt, which features a throwback tiger design that pays homage to the commemorable 40-year anniversary. The Red Cross, meanwhile, is giving out long sleeve t-shirts and limited edition American Red Cross socks. Additionally, all donors receive a goodie bag with a purple wristband, which can be redeemed for a variety of local discounts for merchants in downtown Clemson.

Additionally, every donor who posts on their social media story and tags @cubloodbowl is entered into a giveaway, where they have the opportunity to win bigger prizes such as a signed football from Dabo Swinney, a signed basketball from Brad Brownell, five free Pilates Social classes, a free student parking pass, a framed Clemson print and more.

This year's Blood Bowl is introducing some new elements to motivate students and make the process more accessible for everyone. Clemson Panhellenic is holding a blood donation competition, in which each sorority contends to earn a $500 reward for their philanthropy. A new Blood Connection bus is planned for the front of the football stadium, while the American Red Cross has also added an indoor location at the Barnes Center - both with a goal of making the process more efficient for donors.

The goal to outdo past donation amounts is an ambitious one, but Schmidt and Graybeal believe it can be done. Last year's Blood Bowl saw a record number, surpassing all previous totals by over 1,000 donations. "Midway through the week, we had to rush order 1,000 sweatshirts to campus for our donors, but that's an awesome problem to have," Schmidt says. "I hope we have that same problem this year."

Graybeal hopes students take pride in participating in Blood Bowl. "I want people to feel fulfilled, like they did a good thing, because at the end of the day, that's what Blood Bowl is all about - doing a good thing."

BLOOD BOWL RESOURCES