Weber State University will mark 20 years of donating blood with the annual American Red Cross Blood Battle Sept. 11-15 on the Ogden campus.
Blood donations will run daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dee Events Center on Sept. 11-14, with additional slots available on Sept. 11-12 and 14-15 in the Shepherd Union Ballroom.
This event pits WSU against Utah State University in a friendly competition to find out which community can donate more during the five-day blood drive. Each university has a goal to collect 500 units of blood each. The event has led to more than 19,000 blood donations over the last 20 years.
“Everybody wins when we donate blood, and there are no losers in this battle. But we do love a little friendly competition,” said WSU President Brad Mortensen.
Last year, Weber State provided 332 donations and was the largest blood sponsor for the American Red Cross of Utah in Weber and Box Elder counties.
Michael Smauldon, executive director of the Northern Utah Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the need for blood donations is constant and that students help lead the way to help keep the blood supply stable.
“The American Red Cross is thankful for the community for supporting Weber State in hosting this blood drive,” he said. “For 20 years, this blood battle has really brought the Northern Utah community together to save lives.”
Donors can register for appointments beforehand by downloading the American Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting RedCrossBlog.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Use sponsor code Bleed Purple to support Weber State.
All are welcome to donate, including students, faculty, staff and community members.
