Abbott and Big Ten Conference to Host Blood Drive
Abbott and the Big Ten Conference are channeling the competitive spirit of college football for an inspiring cause: boosting the nation’s supply of blood.
How it works: The “We Give Blood Drive” will invite Big Ten students, alumni and fans to donate blood during college football season, from Sept. 26 to Dec. 6. The winner will be announced at the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 7 in Indianapolis.
- They’ll be playing for a big prize: the winning school will get $1 million “to advance student or community health,” according to Abbott’s announcement.
The shortage: The U.S. is suffering from an extreme shortage of blood supplies, due to a decline in younger donors. Because of that, this project also has a longer term goal: to get young people into the habit of giving blood, hopefully throughout their lives.
- It’s a relatively small task with a huge upside: one donation can save up to three lives, according to Abbott, a global leader in blood testing.
Abbott says: “The U.S. continues to experience ongoing blood shortages, and we knew as a leader in diagnostics and testing we had to do something powerful to draw in donors,” said Abbott Chairman and CEO Robert B. Ford.
- “What better way to inspire people to donate than tapping into rivalries between Big Ten schools and offering up a friendly competition. It’s our hope we’ll give the blood supply a significant boost while inspiring a future generation of blood donors.”
Roll up your sleeve: If you’d like to take part in this feel-good competition, you can learn about eligibility, blood center locations and the current score (via a tracker of donation totals) at BigTen.Org/Abbott.
- Everyone who submits proof of donation will also receive prizes, including a one-month subscription to the conference’s streaming service, and entry into a raffle to win two tickets and a trip to the championship game.