IU coming up short in annual blood drive

Between now and Nov. 11, fans can bleed crimson, but students can give the gift of life and beat the rival Boilermakers in the 2005 IU versus Purdue Blood Donor Challenge.\n"It's a very friendly competition and it allows members to do something that will benefit their communities under the name of IU," said Senior Vice President of the IU Alumni Association John Hobson. \nThe winner will be recognized during another blood sport, the IU versus Purdue football game in Bloomington. On Nov. 19, one Old Oaken Bucket Trophy will go to the best football team and another to the university with the most blood donations. \nDon Creek, Bloomington Red Cross donor recruitment designee, believes so strongly in IU that he convinced the Red Cross to hire an additional crew for Monroe County during the competition. However, due to lack of donors and drives, that crew hasn't been utilized. \n"We could literally have a drive every single day at IU. But someone has to think of it and ask us," he said. "There are just too many empty dates." \nThe drive scheduled for the opening day was cancelled, leaving this week with two drives. Next week would be completely void had Willkie Quad not agreed to sponsor a drive at the last minute, he said.\n"Nobody says, 'We want the honor of having the first drive.' Our count for day one was zero," Creek said. "There are 400-something organizations. Any group that can get together three dozen donors, I'll be there. And that's three dozen more votes for IU."\nSince the challenge began in 1997, Purdue has dominated the series, leading 6-2. Last year, 5,164 units were donated from both campuses. That accounts for a very small portion of the schools' populations, where enrollment at each exceeds 35,000. \nCreek said while 60 percent of the general population is eligible to donate, only 5 percent of those eligible actually do. Creek is devoting his efforts to improve those statistics and beat Purdue at the same time. He said he hopes to follow coach Terry Hoeppner's example. \n"My rock is the groups sponsoring the blood drives in the Union. The walk is down Jordan and up Third Street at the dorms and greek houses," Creek explained. "It's a matter of traditions. Hep has 'The Walk' and 'Rock' to win his Oaken Bucket. It's the same thing with the other trophy."\nCreek wants IU votes so badly, he is hosting drives at area high schools to pick up the slack. Hopefully, he said, his efforts will pay off.\n"It would be very rewarding to win that trophy, and it makes us feel good that our alumni and students support us in that effort," Hobson said, eager to keep the trophy at the DeVault Alumni Center for the next year.\nThe blood supply at Indiana hospitals is diminishing after the initial rush of donations following Hurricane Katrina. Creek hopes the challenge will transform fans into regular givers.\n"We have all these miracles that doctors are able to perform but so many require a transfusion. It's life or death," Creek said. "They are my everyday heroes, someone who dedicates that hour every two months to save a few lives"