Grayson Kargol
Clemson University will compete in the 41st annual Blood Bowl competition against the University of South Carolina.
Clemson will participate in the 41st annual Blood Bowl competition against the University of South Carolina.
This year’s Blood Bowl will take place during the week of Nov. 17 to Nov. 21.
Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, organizes the Blood Bowl. This year, the co-chairs are Ellie Cain, a junior biology major and Christina Deets, a junior elementary education major.
The competition has now turned into the largest student-led collegiate blood drive in the nation, comprising thousands of Clemson students, alumni and community members. In recent years, the Clemson Blood Bowl has averaged 4,000 donations, with last year’s record high of 4,671 donations — defeating the University of South Carolina for the sixth year in a row. Both the Tigers and Gamecocks’ efforts totaled up to 6,228 pints to help save 18,684 lives.
The five-day event not only provides vital blood supply to local hospitals but has also encouraged those who have never donated blood to do so. The Clemson community has grown closer and more connected through service initiatives like these.
“Blood Bowl brings together so many people who you may not interact with otherwise,
which is why it is so important and such a significant event,” Deets told The Tiger in an interview via email. “Many people don’t realize the impact something of this size can have on trauma victims, cancer patients, and emergency patients, but as a community, we’re making an impact together.”
The event has gained traction on social media over the past few years, with special messages from basketball head coach Brad Brownell and football head coach Dabo Swinney. Last year, “Bloody the Blood Drop” became known across campus as the Blood Bowl’s beloved mascot, starring in many social media stories throughout Blood Bowl week.
Due to the event’s popularity online and throughout the Clemson community, the Clemson Blood Bowl team has announced that 8-10 businesses will be involved this year through promotional discounts and giveaway prizes. The full list of prizes and promotions will be released in the coming weeks as Blood Bowl week approaches.
Cain explained that her involvement with the week-long event is how it made her “fall in love with the Clemson community and shaped” her college experience when reflecting on her favorite part of the Blood Bowl.
“Everyone was so excited, selfless and proud to be a part of something bigger than themselves. It has shown me how generous and connected our community really is,” Cain said.
Deets’ most notable reflection is “seeing the impact of an event” that she gets to be in charge of with one of her best friends.
“Getting to share this experience and think of all the lives we have impacted so far and the ones to come during the week of Blood Bowl makes me feel honored,” Deets told The Tiger.
The Blood Bowl is a “community-strengthening event,” and Deets feels rewarded to “be one of the faces behind it.”
Clemson University will accept blood donations for nine hours each day by appointment or walk-in. There will be numerous accessible sites on campus, just like previous years, and appointments can be made on The Blood Connection’s website. Clemson’s Blood Bowl partners are The Blood Connection and the American Red Cross.
In addition to blood donations, the Clemson Blood Bowl will also be accepting monetary donations from donors up to Nov. 7, which can be accessed through a Square Space link.
The Blood Bank aims to provide blood supply to trauma victims, cancer patients and emergency care across the state. “On Clemson’s campus alone, we save over 12,000 lives by collecting thousands of blood donations in just 5 days,” Clemson’s Blood Bowl website states.
The Clemson Blood Bowl originated all the way back in 1985, and was founded by Barbara Cartwright, a blood donor recruiter for the American Association of Blood Banks and Jack Mackenzie, the Alpha Phi Omega chapter advisor.