Ducks join together for Big Ten blood drive

Ducks football has had an amazing season and made a splash during their first year in the Big Ten Conference. But it’s not only on the field that Ducks want to be number one—it's also at the blood bank. For the past two months, members of the Big Ten have partnered with the pharmaceutical company Abbott to host the We Give Blood Drive, aiming to address the largest nationwide blood shortage in more than twenty years. The university that donates the most blood receives $1 million to advance student and community health—and we need you to help the UO rise to the top of the leaderboard. To date, Ducks have already saved more than 1,000 lives through their donations.

“We don’t have the largest alumni population in the Big Ten, but we’re obviously the most O positive!” notes UOAA executive director Raphe Beck. “This is a great opportunity for us to collectively save thousands and thousands of lives.” 

The importance of donating blood cannot be understated. New blood helps to treat patients who are undergoing cancer treatments, illnesses, surgeries, and more. Every two seconds in the United States, someone needs a blood transfusion, and out of every seven people who find themselves in the hospital, at least one will need blood as a part of their treatment. The need has begun to surpass the supply, and Big Ten communities—and UO alumni—can do something about it.

Abbott has set up mobile blood donation stations on Big Ten campuses, including the UO’s Eugene campus—but you can give blood at any donation outpost near you. The process to donate is simple: first, make an appointment with BloodWorks Northwest or at a qualifying operation near you. Once your blood has been drawn by a dedicated professional, visit the We Give Blood website to record your donation, making sure to attribute the UO. Before you know it, you’ll have saved three lives.

There will also be one more donation day at the UO on December 2 for the Eugene community to come together and give. When you give blood, you’ll earn a one-month subscription to B1G+, the Big Ten Network’s subscription streaming service, and be entered to win a trip to the 2024 Discover® Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 7 where the winning university of the We Give Blood Drive will be announced.

For more information about the UO’s involvement in the We Give Blood Drive, contact Alicia Swanson at alicia.swanson@abbott.com and for campaign details, contact wegivebloodsupport@btn.com.

 — By Olivia Arciniega, class of 2026, UOAA student writer/editor and Sage Kiernan-Sherrow, Advancement editorial and communications specialist