FAQ: What is the We Give Blood competition?

College rivalries have always brought out the best in fans. Through the We Give Blood competition, Abbott and the Big Ten conference are channeling that passion toward something even bigger: helping save lives.

Now in its third year, the We Give Blood competition invites students, alumni and fans from all 18 Big Ten universities to donate blood and support their favorite school.

From how the competition works to why Abbott champions blood donation, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the We Give Blood competition.

What is the We Give Blood competition?

We Give Blood is a blood donation competition between all 18 Big Ten schools, created by Abbott and the Big Ten. By donating blood and supporting their favorite school, fans, students and alumni can help strengthen the nation's blood supply while competing to help their school earn a $1 million grant from Abbott for student or community health.

How does it work?

Donate blood. Log your donation. Support your school. Every eligible donation between Aug. 12 - Dec. 4 counts toward your favorite Big Ten school's total, and the school with the most verified donations earns a $1 million health-focused grant from Abbott. Most importantly, every donation can help save lives.

Why does Abbott do this?

The competition was created to help address a critical need. The need for blood never takes an offseason; a person in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds.¹ Yet, blood shortages remain a persistent challenge, and donations from young people continue to decline.

Blood donations are essential for trauma patients, people undergoing cancer treatment, mothers experiencing childbirth complications and many others who rely on a stable blood supply.

Why donate? You’re helping to save lives, address the national blood shortage and help your favorite Big Ten school win a $1 million grant for student or community health.

Whether you're cheering your Big Ten team on from the stands, watching from home or reconnecting with your alma mater, the We Give Blood competition offers a simple way to support your team – or your family and friends’ team – while helping patients who depend on blood donations every day. Our goal? To inspire the next generation of blood donors.

What is Abbott’s interest in blood donation?

Through the We Give Blood competition, Abbott is working to raise awareness about the importance of blood donation and inspire more people to become regular donors.

We also have a long history of diagnostics care. Abbott’s diagnostic tests help screen blood donations around the world for infectious diseases, helping blood centers provide safe blood for patients in need. Our products screen more than 50% of the world’s blood supply.

How? First, we make special “testing liquids,” or reagents. These help show what’s inside a sample of blood or plasma.

In the lab, technicians put the testing liquids and samples into our Alinity s system. If a sample has certain proteins linked to an infectious disease, like HIV or hepatitis, the machine can spot them.

Alinity s gives a result for each sample. Those results allow the blood or plasma center to release your donation to help patients in need.

Who is eligible to donate?

For the purpose of this campaign and for eligible donations to count in the We Give Blood competition, the donor must be 18 years or older with a valid form of ID to verify age, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. You may still be able to donate if between the ages of 16 and 17, pending state parental consent requirements, but donations will not count towards the competition.

To qualify for donation, there are a lot of factors taken into consideration to make sure the blood supply is safe. Some of these might affect your ability to donate blood during the campaign.

Common reasons you may not be able to donate include anemia, having a new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months, some heart conditions or heart-related medications, recent or current antibiotic use, certain vaccinations if administered recently, and travel to countries at risk for certain infectious diseases, such as malaria. To learn more about eligibility, call your local blood center — or visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services site.

Who are Josh and Jase?

You may have seen their recurring faces on our social media. These best friends are social media creators from the U.K., discovering American culture through their content.

Enter: Big Ten and football. We want to introduce them to the traditions that make Big Ten fandom great as they help us spread awareness about the importance of blood donation.

To do so, the duo is traveling across the U.S. to each Big Ten school to engage students and fans and encourage participation in the competition. Follow their journey along the way.

How can I be a part of the competition?

Now you know the context. So take the next step and join in! Show up to donate blood at any blood drive or blood center in the U.S. Sign up at https://bigten.org/abbott/. Eligible donations count from Aug. 12 to Dec. 4.

You have until Dec. 4 to submit your donation for your Big Ten® school at BigTen.org/Abbott or by texting GIVEBLOOD to 222688 (ABBOTT).

Bonus: Check your email to claim your free T-shirt.*

Beyond helping meet today's need, the We Give Blood competition is focused on the future. A significant portion of current blood donations comes from older donors, making it important to inspire the next generation of lifelong blood donors. By engaging college students, alumni and sports fans, Abbott and the Big Ten hope to build lasting donation habits that strengthen the blood supply for years to come.

References

¹ American Red Cross

* Shirts are limited to one per person, while supplies last. Shirts are non-transferrable, not redeemable for cash, and apply to people who present to donate. For more information, including a list of prizes, visit bigten.org/abbott