When University of Nebraska Medical Center Professor Larry Crouch, Ph.D., was tasked with co-directing the annual blood drive for the UNMC College of Dentistry in Lincoln, he knew exactly how to get Nebraska football fans’ blood flowing. The native Nebraskan had just returned from a research fellowship at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry when the idea occured: turn the drive into a friendly competition between two football rivalry to determine who really is number one.
He turned to the Community Blood Bank in Lincoln and the Red Cross in Omaha. They were game.
“When I saw it was a split poll for the national football championship between Nebraska and Michigan, I knew we had a great opportunity,” said Dr. Crouch, UNMC assistant professor of oral biology. “This was a good-natured challenge to get as many Cornhusker and Wolverine fans to donate blood as possible.”
On Feb. 6, the UNMC College of Dentistry held its own drive. Faculty, staff and students turned out in full force, wearing red in support of Nebraska football. The UNMC College of Dentistry had 93 people register to donate blood and the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, 79. However, after screening for colds, flu and other health factors, the final count of donors was 67 — a tie.
But, Dr. Crouch didn’t stop at the college level. He went statewide.
“A total of 8,778 people in Nebraska met the challenge at blood drives throughout the state, giving their strong support to our national championship Cornhusker football team, and more importantly, to their friends and neighbors who needed blood,” said Dr. Crouch.
Blood was collected Feb. 6 to 27, statewide through the Community Blood Bank of Lincoln and Nebraska chapters of the American Red Cross staff and volunteers.
“In the middle of February, we had a good number of donors,” said Susan Allen, Red Cross Midwest Region Blood Services of Omaha. “The blood will be used in about 100 area hospitals. We thank all Nebraskans who participated. She said for every donation of blood, potentially three peoples’ lives can be saved.
Donations during the competition were up about 10 percent at the Community Blood Bank in Lincoln, according to Marj McKinty, director of donor resources, Community Blood Bank, and about three percent over last year’s for the Red Cross, said Allen.
“The number of Nebraskans who rose to the challenge was pretty impressive,” said McKinty. “One thing that really galvanizes the state of Nebraska is football. The competition was fun and added an interested angle. It was valuable and made it possible to supply enough blood to people in the hospitals at a very needy time of the year.”
For regular donors, word of the competitive drive was a reminder to donate, for others, Allen said, it was a call to action. “Many Nebraskans across the state wore red and responded with enthusiasm, as if it were a real football game. Football rivalries aside, the Red Cross region Nebraska belongs to, which includes the western third of Iowa, and a couple of counties in Kansas and Colorado, has historically the highest per capita blood donations in the United States,” she said. “More people donate blood and donate more frequently. We’re really number one.”