Mackenzie Cook watches as her blood starts to be drawn. This is Cook's third time donating blood. (CU Independent/Aly Daugherty)
The Buffs still have a reason to celebrate despite a recent loss to CSU rivals in football. CU was able to pull off a victory against the Rams in this year’s Blood Bowl Championship.
The Blood Bowl Championship is an annual competition between CU and CSU intended to encourage students and faculty to donate blood to Bonfils Blood Center.
Sponsored by CU-Boulder Staff Council, the 2009 Blood Bowl Championship took place from Sept. 14 to Sept. 17 between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. outside of the UMC. At CSU, the blood drive ran from Sept. 16 through Sept. 18.
Julie Scott, public relations specialist for Bonfils Blood Center, explained the judging process and the factors that went into determining the winner.
“Basically the most donations we collect and the most people coming forward to attempt to give blood,” Scott said. “We count people who show up and the number of actual donations we collect.”
Scott added that CU had an advantage over CSU with one additional day to donate blood.
Regardless of CU’s advantage, Bonfils was unable to collect as many blood units on the CU campus this year, in comparison with previous years, due to limited space.
According to Linda Colbert, community donor representative for Bonfils, in 2008 the blood center had the benefit of working out of a room on the upper floor of the UMC with more available space for beds. This year, Bonfils employees had to work out of the Blood Mobile van, Colbert said.
Despite the limited space, CU was able to defeat CSU 271 units of blood to 237 units of blood.
Scott explained that each blood donation supplies blood for three patients. The total amount of blood donations from both schools will together benefit more than 13,000 patients.
Ruth McClure, an 18-year-old freshman psychology major, has donated blood seven times.
“It makes you feel so good because you can save three lives every time you give blood,” McClure said.
McClure added that although a lot of people seem to be fearful of the needle involved in a blood donation, she said she feels the pinch is a small price to pay compared to the benefits of saving lives.
Blood donations to Bonfils Blood Center are a quick and simple opportunity to give back to the community because they provide 80 percent of Colorado’s blood supply and support over 200 health care facilities, Scott said.
For those unable to make an actual blood donation, Bonfils has a foundation that collects monetary contributions as well as the Colorado Marrow Donor Program, which consists of a simple cheek swab for registry.
Bonfils employees will return to the CU campus Oct. 6 through Oct. 8.
Visit the Bonfils Web site for more information on how to make a donation to the Colorado community.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kylie Horner at Kylie.horner@colorado.edu.
