Last modified: Thursday, November 15, 2007
IU tops Purdue in 11th Annual Blood Donor Challenge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 15, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- For the third straight year, Indiana University donated more blood than rival Purdue in the 11th annual IU-Purdue Blood Donor Challenge.
A total of 4,302 IU donors participated in the challenge, edging the Purdue total of 3,994. That brought the total number of donors to 8,264, a few hundred short of the 2006 record total of 8,595. This year's competition was two weeks shorter than the 2006 effort.
"Although we set it up as a friendly competition, the cooperative effort of our two great universities for the very worthy cause of replenishing the state's blood bank supply makes everyone a winner," said Tom Martz, BS'71, president and CEO of the IU Alumni Association. "We appreciate the donations of more than 8,000 Indiana residents and the leadership of the co-chairwomen of the challenge, Linda Lynch, wife of IU football coach Bill Lynch, and Arnette Tiller, wife of Purdue coach Joe Tiller."
IU will receive the traveling "Blood Bucket" trophy at halftime of Saturday's IU-Purdue Old Oaken Bucket football game in Bloomington. Although IU has won the trophy for three straight years, it still trails Purdue, 6-5, in the 11 years of competition.
Established in 1997, the Blood Donor Challenge is a friendly competition that encourages Indiana residents to donate blood. Since its inception, the challenge has grown to encompass the entire state. Participants donate blood in the name of either university at their local blood agency.
The challenge is sponsored by the Indiana University Alumni Association, the Purdue Alumni Association, Indiana Blood Center, American Red Cross, Heartland Blood Center, Richmond Community Blood Center and the South Bend Medical Foundation.
This year's donations brought the number of participants to about 40,000 over the 11 years the event has been conducted.
For more information, contact Tom Martz, BS'71, president and CEO of the IU Alumni Association, at 812-855-5700, or Bridget Asher Sutton, BS'97, director of alumni programs.
The Indiana University Alumni Association is dedicated to serving the university and its diverse alumni, students and friends. As one of the nation's largest alumni organizations, serving more than 500,000 graduates worldwide, the IUAA provides many programs and services to its members, non-member alumni, and the university. For information, visit www.alumni.indiana.edu or call 800-824-3044.
