Spring Break
ECU/State rivalry starts with saving lives
Akela Yarn
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Features
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The ECU/State blood donation competition was a concept adopted by the Student Pirate Club this year, and is a competition between schools to see which school can collect the most blood donations. The only rules of the challenge are that each school only has one day for the drive and all donors must meet the American Red Cross donation requirements.
"This [challenge] is the first of many and we hope to make it an annual event," said Elizabeth Browning, the special projects coordinator for the Student Pirate Club.
State fans were allowed to give at the Greenville site but they had to take the walk of shame with a faded N.C. State flag. Although their pint donated would go to the Pitt Co. center, N.C. State would be credited for that pint.
The blood drive took place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Jones Hall of the Murphy Center, which overlooks Bagwell Field. The donations will go to help patients at Pitt Memorial Hospital.
Aside from saving lives, students received a free T-shirt that reads "I bleed Purple and Gold," a chance to win a Pontiac Solstice, a Thanksgiving giveaway or summer giveaway prize pack and two tickets to this weekend's game. The Student Pirate Club will also give a $100,000 endowment that will benefit the athletic scholarship fund.
With Saturday's football game on the horizon, ECU students, faculty and staff lined up to give blood. By 5:45 p.m. yesterday, the drive had surpassed the goal of 255 pints, and still had a little over two hours left in the drive.
N.C. State's blood drive was Tuesday, with a goal of 90 pints. The final results from both schools should be released today.
The winner of the blood drive challenge will receive a trophy, made by an ECU alumnus, which will be awarded at the next home game against Houston.
Many donors chose to give in groups for support. Two friends Samantha Adriaans and Anneliese Hartman, decided to give blood together. Hartman, a first-time donor, and Adriaans both agreed that "it [was] a good thing to do" and it was nice to "get a free shirt." The two are Pirate Club members and did not get tickets in hopes that they would win the raffle at the drive.
"Volunteering is a good way to get involved when you can't give and the challenge is a good way to get the people hype about the game," said Hollie Brooks, a volunteer at the drive.
Another volunteer Jermaine Freeman added, "It's a good way to save a life and the competition only heightens the event."
Many members of the community also came out to support the cause and give a donation.
This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.
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