Basketball fans now have a new opportunity to show their school spirit and help the Red Cross at the same time.
The brainchild of Duke Red Cross Club President Naveen Rao and University of Maryland alumnus Ben Duchek, a new campaign called Points for Pints combines college basketball rivalry and blood donation.
The program partners blood drives with participating colleges' basketball teams--the school with the most pints proportionate to the student and faculty population at the end of the basketball season wins. The campaign, which runs from Nov. 1 to April 1, takes place during the basketball season so colleges can compete not only for the national championship on the court, but also for the Red Cross championship.
"The reason why Points for Pints is so exciting is that it capitalizes on college students' intense school pride and competitiveness in order to save lives," Rao said.
Modeled after successful blood drives pitting Duke against arch rival University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Points for Pints will involve 18 colleges--many with strong basketball teams across the nation, such as UNC-CH, North Carolina State University and the University of California at Berkeley.
Negotiations are currently underway with Athletics Director Joe Alleva to get Duke basketball players more involved in the campaign; Alleva said he will personally donate blood and has passed information about the competition on to other athletic officials.
Although Rao realizes basketball players may be unable to donate blood, he hopes they will still contribute to the campaign through advertising and endorsements. Coach Mike Krzyzewski may donate blood next semester, and the Red Cross Club is aiming to recruit off-season athletes, Rao said.
It is too early to tell whether the club will reach its blood donation goal of 20 percent of the undergraduate, graduate student and faculty population. For their first drive from Nov. 13 to Nov. 15, officials collected 248 units of blood; the goal was 350.
Rao said the club originally feared a drop-off after the upsurge in blood donations following Sept. 11.
"Many people were just donating after a tragedy," Nao said. "However, we are confident that people will see the need for blood, and we are emphasizing the need to be prepared."
Many students seem interested in donating. Freshman Lindsay Higgins gave blood Nov. 14 as well as immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks. "I don't have an excuse not to. At least it's something I can do," she said.
Subsequent blood drives for Points for Pints will be held Nov. 29 in Gilbert-Addoms Down Under and Dec. 21 for faculty and staff at a location to be announced. Additional drives will resume next semester.
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