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Michigan wins Blood Battle
Wolverines take back trophy from Ohio State

November 22, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The University of Michigan has won the 2008 Blood Battle against Ohio State, reclaiming the trophy for the first time since 2002.

Michigan overcame the Buckeyes by a margin of 225 in this annual competition to see who can bring in the most blood donations in the weeks leading up to the big game between the two football archrivals. Each year, the winner is announced in the stadium, the trophy presented on the field.

“We here in the Central Ohio Blood Services Region are sad to see the trophy travel back north, but next year the Ohio State community will have a chance to win it back and help countless patients as they do,” said Nicole Baird, a spokesperson for the local Red Cross.

“Regardless of who takes home the trophy, the real winners are always the patients who receive these potentially lifesaving blood products.”

Together, the two schools’ Blood Battle drives collected approximately 4,500 pints of blood during the competition.
“Countless lives will be touched by the gift of life given by these thousands of generous blood donors,” Baird said.

Competition supports season needs: Since 1981, the OSU-Michigan Blood Battle has provided vital support for the volunteer blood program during a critical time of year. As Thanksgiving and the busy winter holiday season approaches, the thousands of donations made during Blood Battle help stock the Red Cross blood bank shelves in preparation to fulfill the needs of the hundreds of people who depend on blood transfusions every day. Just in the 27-county Central Ohio Region, about 650 donors are needed daily to meet anticipated patient needs.

The Red Cross encourages those who missed donating during Blood Battle to remember that their gift of life is needed. Holiday travel tends to be accompanied by an increased rate of accidents involving severe injuries, and a single trauma patient typically can require 20 units of blood products during the first hour of treatment.

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