Big Ten Universities Compete in Blood Drive for $1 Million Prize

The Big Ten Conference, in partnership with Abbott, has launched the second annual "We Give Blood" drive competition among all 18 Big Ten universities, including Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State, Maryland, and Penn State. The competition encourages students, alumni, and fans to donate blood nationwide between August 27 and December 5, with the winning school receiving $1 million to support student or community health, awarded at the Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 6. The initiative responds to the urgent national need for blood donations, highlighting that someone needs blood every two seconds while blood centers often have less than a one-day supply available. Organizers emphasize that the number of young donors has been declining, making it crucial to engage college communities to support trauma victims, mothers with childbirth complications, and cancer patients. Participants can log donations by texting "DONATE" to 222688 or visiting BigTen.Org/Abbott, and donors receive exclusive limited-edition T-shirts as an incentive. This campaign aims to combine school spirit with lifesaving action, uniting campuses in a critical public health effort.