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What began as simple donations during their first year at Clemson has grown into major leadership roles. Christina Deets, junior elementary education major, and Ellie Cain, junior biology major, now serve as co-chairs for the 41st Annual Blood Bowl, hosted by Alpha Phi Omega. This service organization has organized this event for over four decades.

This year’s Blood Bowl runs from Nov. 17-21 and provides blood for all of Upstate South Carolina, as well as parts of Georgia and North Carolina. The goal is to collect as many donations as possible, ideally surpassing the University of South Carolina. The friendly rivalry between Clemson and USC remains one of the biggest motivators for donations. 

“Anything against USC is the best thing ever in a lot of students' minds,” said Deets. “Obviously, there’s a rivalry. There's just so much drive from Clemson students when they want to beat USC, and it's just awesome.” 

Beyond the competition, Blood Bowl fosters a sense of community across Clemson’s campus. After donating, students proudly wear the exclusive Blood Bowl sweatshirt, a clear statement of Alpha Phi Omega’s principles of leadership, friendship and service, given to each donor. “Everyone in solidarity, in the same sweatshirt, is so cool,” said Cain.

This year, the Blood Bowl is “bigger and better” than ever. After donating, participants receive a goodie bag with vouchers for local businesses and a wristband that unlocks special discounts throughout the week. “We’ve almost doubled how many wristband deals we’ve done in the past,” said Deets. 

Cain emphasized the vital importance of these donations in truly helping people. “You’re really making a sacrifice that can’t be replicated any other way. There’s no synthetic option for blood out there.” 

Deets and Cain encourage students to schedule appointments to streamline the donation process. They hope to accommodate even more donors with the addition of indoor space in the Hendrix Student Center. “We really just want to help our donors. That's really what it's all about. It's not about us,” explains Deets. 

Show your Clemson pride and make a life-saving difference at the 41st Annual Blood Bowl! If you have any questions, please email bloodbowl.cu@gmail.com.