The Ole Miss football team won the game against The University of Memphis Monday, but the real winners over the past week have been the students, faculty, staff and alumni of the two institutions.
The Lifeblood contest held between the two schools was a huge success, and The U of M was the victor, donating more blood than Ole Miss.
There were more than 300 units of blood donated between the two schools. All of the blood will go to the 15 area hospitals supported by Lifeblood.
“It takes 300 units a day to run our center, so we were more than pleased at the generosity of the students at both schools,” said Jennifer Guarino, Lifeblood spokesperson.
Participants in the event had to go to any Lifeblood center in the area and simply mention which team they were supporting while donating blood. The turnout was amazing and surpassed what most were expecting, Guarino said.
“The campus center had lines all day Thursday and Friday and everyone was waiting to help out,” Guarino said. “We hope that everyone continues to show such support on campus because with the victims of Katrina piling in the city, we will need even more donations than usual.”
The Lifeblood center is located above the campus bookstore and is still taking donations. Guarino encouraged everyone to continue the generous spirit.
Aubrey Tucker, a freshman English major, was one of the many students who wanted to make a difference by participating.
“I went with four or five friends to donate,” Tucker said. “I already was going to do it, but then after Katrina hit, I tried to convince as many people as I could to go donate and help out.”
The U of M Alumni Association helped sponsor the event on campus after being approached by Lifeblood representatives. The association sent out e-mails and ran ads urging participation in the event.
Tammy Hedges, executive director of alumni relations, was thrilled with the results.
“As usual, The University of Memphis students, faculty, staff and alumni pulled together in times of need,” Hedges said. “We are so grateful for everyone’s support, not only for the competition, but especially for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.”
The generosity showed over the past week didn’t stop with blood donations. More than 50 student-athletes were on hand at the game Monday collecting donations for the hurricane relief efforts.
As of Tuesday, the money was still being counted, but the total is expected to be significant.
“Everyone was in a giving spirit, including fans of both teams,” said Jeff Konya, a U of M assistant athletic director. “People just wanted to help out.”
