The 40th annual Blood Bowl between Clemson University and the University of South Carolina took place from Nov. 18 through Nov. 22. The Tigers beat the Gamecocks for the sixth year in a row.
Clemson donated 4,068 pints of blood, while South Carolina donated 2,160 pints, totaling 6,228 pints to help save 18,684 lives.
The Blood Bowl is run by Alpha Phi Omega, a service co-ed fraternity. The Tiger sat down with the two co-chairs who run the event: Caroline Graybeal and Lindsey Schmidt.
Bella Rosen: What is the process like for hiring Blood Bowl workers?
Lindsey Schmidt: We work with the blood donation centers, the Blood Connection and the American Red Cross to make the Blood Bowl happen each year. The centers bring in their staff from neighboring locations, and the brothers of Alpha Phi Omega help promote and facilitate the event each year.
BR: Where specifically do the blood donations go?
LS: All of the blood donations that the Blood Bowl receives directly impact the Upstate, SC area. It is very rewarding and amazing to think that your donation could directly impact someone you know.
BR: What are you most proud of about this year’s Blood Bowl?
LS: I am most proud of how eager our campus was to contribute to the event this year! Ten minutes into the drive, we already had a line of 30 people in Hendrix wanting to donate. Seeing this amount of people ready to roll up their sleeves and make a difference made me so excited to see how the rest of the week was going to play out.
BR: Do you have any advice for next year’s co-chairs?
LS: Enjoy the moment and take in the sense of community that the event brings to campus. It is so easy to get caught up in the little things while planning and executing the event, but seeing the whole thing come to fruition was so rewarding that I even wanted to do it twice!
BR: How far in advance does planning for the Blood Bowl begin?
Caroline Graybeal: Planning for the next Blood Bowl starts as soon as the previous one ends, but it really picks up during the fall semester when we need to begin booking locations and gathering sponsorships.
BR: Were there any unexpected challenges that you faced while planning the Blood Bowl?
CG: The main challenge was getting sponsors for our wristband deals and giveaway prizes. There are a lot of businesses in the Clemson area that we reach out to, and it can be difficult to coordinate with them in a timely manner.
BR: What is your favorite part of being a Blood Bowl co-chair?
CG: I have loved getting to work with so many people in the Clemson community. It is really special to see so many people getting involved and contributing to our cause. Getting to see students, faculty, alumni, and other community members come together makes this all worthwhile.
BR: What made you want to get involved with the Blood Bowl?
CG: I knew that I wanted to get involved with service when I came to Clemson, which led me to join Alpha Phi Omega my freshman fall. During Tiger Prowl, the Blood Bowl was described as a campus-wide service project with a huge community impact, and that’s when I knew I had to join and get involved.
