Stickin’ It To Davis

SACRAMENTO -Sacramento State students are using their UC Davis rivalry to help Sacramento area residents by donating blood in the first Causeway Classic blood drive challenge.

Sacramento State students participated in record numbers at the Blood Source Blood Drive on campus Monday and Tuesday, in a competition to raise more blood donations than UC Davis.

Sacramento State Professor Tim Howard had his Public Relations Planning and Management class help organize the event to bring awareness for the need for blood donations in the Sacramento area.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 805 Sacramento State students donated blood, compared to 130 students from last year’s blood drive, said Sacramento State student Nicole Gillett, a volunteer from Howard’s Public Relations class.

Howard said that no matter the outcome of the competition, both universities’ efforts will amount to a victory for the cause.

“I think our students have won, just learning about the importance of volunteerism and participation,” Howard said.

Blood Source employee Philip Roberts said he thinks the competition between Davis has brought more Sac State students out to donate blood. Roberts has worked for Blood Source for three and a half years and said he has never seen this many Sacramento State students donate blood before.

“I think that’s because they are trying to beat UC Davis in the blood drive,” Roberts said.

Tim Gilmore, Administrative Assistant for Blood Source, said the idea to do a competition between Sacramento State and UC Davis was introduced to increase the participation among students.

“The Sac State students have really come out and stepped up and brought the level of competition and we’re really gonna be right there and stickin’ it to Davis,” Gilmore said.

Sacramento State Junior Tom Grainger donated blood Tuesday to help Sacramento State beat UC Davis. Grainger has friends at Davis and said it is always fun to try and beat Davis when they can.

“I think the ultimate prize to winning this competition is bragging rights,” Grainger said.

Sacramento State student organizations could also benefit from the drive –– the student organization with the most participants will win $500 from Blood Source.

Fraternities and sororities were among the student organizations with the highest turnout, Gillett said.

Lambda Chi Alpha President Ray Aldrich said he encouraged his members to donate blood because it is for a good cause and that their fraternity could possibly win money for their participation.

Diego Hernandez, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said that the competition between UC Davis motivated him and his fraternity to donate blood.

“I told everyone that it was for a good cause and because we wanted to beat Davis,” said Hernandez.

Friends, families and Sacramento State students can still donate blood at any Blood Source location for the next two weeks.

There will be two more blood drives on campus on November 3 in the Residence halls and November 6 in the Health Center. UC Davis is holding their blood drive Nov. 4 and 5, said Gilmore.

The winning campus will be announced at the Causeway Classic football game on Nov. 8 at Aggie Stadium at UC Davis.