CAA Blood Challenge Collects 4,600 Units Of Blood
RICHMOND,
Va. (December 18, 2012) - The 11th-annual Colonial Athletic Association
Blood Challenge was a huge success once again as 4,613 productive units of
blood were collected from 4,381 donors on 10 CAA campuses.
Two
CAA schools recorded the highest donor totals in the history of the event and four
institutions saw their numbers increase more than 10 percent from last year. Over
the 11-year history of the event, the CAA Blood Challenge has resulted in 36,719
productive units of blood.
"It
was another incredibly successful year for the CAA Blood Challenge with more
than 4,600 units of blood donated," CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager said. "This
event continues to grow and it shows the level of support for this important
program by all of our institutions. The outstanding efforts put forth by our
students, faculty and administrators will have a positive impact on the lives
of thousands of people during a critical time for blood donations over the
holiday season. The CAA would like to thank everyone who took time to donate
blood and the volunteers who helped make this event such a big success."
The
University of Delaware captured the CAA Blood Challenge for the second year in
a row and sixth time overall. Delaware had a school-record 1,232 donors, which
is also the highest yearly total in the history of the event.
"The
University of Delaware is extremely proud once again to have captured the CAA
Blood Challenge title," said first-year University of Delaware Director of
Athletics and Recreation Services Eric Ziady. "We want to thank everyone who
took part in this great program and gave a life-saving gift to those who need
it most. I have been here at Delaware for only a few months, but already I have
seen how caring and supportive the University of Delaware community can be and
how eager they are to come together and give to a great cause."
Said
Jerry Oravitz, UD's Director of Football Operations and the UD CAA Blood
Challenge Site Coordinator, "The University of Delaware Athletics and
Recreation Services department is thrilled to retain the 2012 CAA Blood Challenge
Championship. "Thank you to everyone on the UD campus and everyone in our local
who took the time to donate and help save a life."
Added
Oravitz, "Winning the CAA Blood Challenge is another great example of the
University of Delaware and the Delaware community coming together in an effort
to help save lives. On behalf of the University of Delaware Department of
Athletics and Recreation Services, I would like to commend the Blood Bank of
Delmarva, UD Conference Services, and all of the volunteers for a fantastic job
in organizing our first UD multi-site Blood Challenge. Through these new and
expansive initiatives we were able to bring back the CAA Blood Challenge
championship to UD."
George
Mason University placed second in the Blood Challenge for the third year in a
row with a school-record 1,114 donors, which is also the second-highest yearly
total in the history of the event. It's the second year in a row that two different
schools have had more than 1,000 donors participate. Drexel University finished
third with 578 donors.
After
working hard to regain the CAA Blood Challenge title last year, the University
of Delaware and the Blood Bank of Delmarva worked together again this year in
an attempt to continue what started in 2011 and the proof is in the results.
"Last
year our staff was keenly focused on taking the CAA Blood Challenge to the next
level" said Roy Roper, President and CEO of the Blood Bank of Delmarva, "We
were determined to continue to trend in 2012 and started planning early. I am
very proud of our staff, the students, administration, faculty and alumni of
the University of Delaware. Everyone, including members of our local community
and our corporate sponsors, showed their support from the minute the drive
began in the early morning hours until the last donor of the evening. This is
an outstanding achievement and we are very happy to keep the CAA Blood
Challenge trophy in Newark, Delaware. Winning a competition is exciting, but we
all realize that the true winners are the patients who have been helped by the
selfless donations of blood from all those who came out on November 14."
The
CAA Blood Challenge was developed by the conference presidents as a fun way to
emphasize the critical importance of donating blood. Each CAA institution
worked with its local blood service center and designated one day during the fall
term to conduct a campus-wide blood drive. Student groups, faculty, staff and
alumni were all encouraged to participate.
All
10 CAA institutions able to participate had at least 120 donors participate in
the program. Georgia State University finished fourth with 344, Hofstra
University was fifth (252) and Towson University was sixth (243). James Madison
University, which saw a 16% increase in donors from last year's event, finished
seventh (182), followed by UNCW (181), the College of William & Mary (133),
and Old Dominion University (122). Northeastern University was not able to
participate in the blood drive this fall after its event was postponed due to
Hurricane Sandy.
Commissioner
Yeager will present the University of Delaware with an award in recognition of
its outstanding achievement during a basketball game this winter.