This week, WKU students had their spirit put to the test with the WKU vs. MTSU blood drive, a contest between the two rival universities to see who can donate the most blood in light of this Friday’s game. WKU students had the opportunity to see if they truly did bleed Hilltopper red this past Monday through Wednesday at the Preston Center.

The campaign, called “Give Red, Give Life,” capitalizes on the competitive nature between the two schools with the spirit culminating in the football game later this week. The drive emphasized the life-saving nature of blood donations. Students will even receive their blood type in the mail in the coming weeks for future reference.

There were more than 570 open appointments this week for students to give blood on the Blue Courts, or students could walk in and decide to give a donation, whether it be monetary or their red blood cells.

The event was organized by WKU Student Activities and Organization Director Laura Johnson and had an enormous turnout. Red Cross itself is open all days of the week to give blood, and encourages students to give blood, as “most people don’t think they’ll ever need blood, but many do,” their website claims.

However, the blood-giving process was no cakewalk for some. The thought of needles and blood can sometimes be a daunting thought. Freshman Sophie Kraus recounts the scary moments leading up to her not being able to give blood.

“I had given blood before, but for some reason I was really nervous this time around because I hadn’t in a while,” Kraus said. “It was actually really scary. The needles and everything. I wanted to give blood so bad, but it’s just a really nerve-wracking thing to do.”

Whether students rose to the challenge or found it a bit too unnerving, the blood drive raised awareness for the necessity of blood donations and brought out the WKU spirit in all.

The results of the Blood Drive competition will be revealed at Friday’s game versus Middle Tennessee State University at 7 p.m. CT. If you’re looking for another opportunity to donate blood and make a difference, visit the Red Cross website.

Reporter Noah Moore can be reached at 270-745-2655 and [email protected].