The big football game between the Nittany Lions and the Spartans isn't until Nov. 20, but the competition between the two schools began Friday with the first blood drive of the MSU-Penn State Blood Challenge.
Entering its 11th year, the blood challenge was based off the sports rivalries in an attempt to gather more donors, said Justin Looyenga, donor recruitment representative for the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross.
"The Red Cross was looking for new ways to gain interest in donating blood, and creating new challenges is always a good way to do that," Looyenga said.
However, the competition gimmick did not influence education senior Audra Hunsberger's decision to donate blood.
"The rivalry didn't make me want to donate," Hunsberger said as she munched on the remaining quarter of her glazed doughnut after giving blood Tuesday. "I was able to (and) I always donate when I can."
Hunsberger's main reason for giving blood is the shortage the state has been facing for the past two years, she said.
Looyenga said Michigan's current blood supply is at a two-day level, but the desired "safe" level is three days.
The blood-supply level is an improvement from September when MSU was host to nine Red Cross blood drives, but Looyenga said the need for blood rises in November and December.
"It gets worse because of the holidays and the bad weather conditions, which creates more accidents and less people want to go out," he said.
University campuses are ideal for blood drives because of the large, closely packed population, said Carmen Yu, a human biology senior and vice president of the MSU Red Cross Club.
"There's always a need for blood," Yu said. "On campus, we have a huge population and can get a lot of blood to help out a lot of people."
Students and faculty who gave blood during the September campus blood drives should be eligible to donate again during the blood challenge. Looyenga said the residence hall blood drives were spaced far enough apart to allow for the required 56-day waiting period.
The time limit was set by the Food and Drug Administration in order to allow a person's blood supply to replenish.
People who want to donate blood are encouraged to make an appointment by e-mailing the Red Cross at bleedgreen@usa.redcross.org, which also can be used to find out which school is leading the Blood Challenge.
Walk-ins also are welcome at the blood drives, Yu said.
The first drives on Friday and Monday exceeded their pint goals with 164 pints, Looyenga said. Blood drives at Penn State for the Blood Challenge begin today.
The overall goal for the Blood Challenge is 2,000 pints.
"The turnout has been excellent," Looyenga said. "People are beginning to realize how important giving blood is on the campus of Michigan State."
