Oct. 18, 2007

NORFOLK, Va. -- The 2007 CAA Blood Challenge will be held Thursday, October 25, from 10am - 4pm in the Newport News Room of Webb Center. This annual blood drive is a competition between all CAA schools to see who can donate the most blood for their community.

The Red Cross has indicated that our local blood supply is at critically low levels. It is important the blood supply increase as we head into the holidays.

Please take the time to donate, and encourage your friends and family to come out and donate October 25. To reduce the wait time, people can schedule an appointment by visiting www.givelife.org (Sponsor Code: ODU).

Every donor will receive a custom Hershey bar. The 5 lucky donors that find hidden RED tickets will be entered to win a trip to Hershey, PA and receive a chocolate fun pack.

Delaware won the first four Blood Challenges before Drexel tok home the trophy in the 2006 edition. The 2006 event brought in 3,215 donors and 3,287 productive units of blood from the 12 CAA campuses, which represented a 22 percent increase over the 2005 totals and an amazing 182 percent increase from the inaugural blood challenge in 2002. Over the past five years, the CAA Blood Challenge has raised a total of 10,697 units of blood, which has helped to save 32,091 lives.

"The success of the CAA Blood Challenge has become a source of pride for the conference and its member institutions," CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager said. "The event continues to grow each year, and we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and participation on each of our campuses. Our ability to enhance each community's blood supply is incredibly important, and I applaud the institutions for undertaking this life-saving project."

GIVE LIFE