NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware will look to capture its fifth Colonial Athletic Association Blood Challenge title in the event’s eight-year history when the school holds its annual blood drive on November 18 in the Multipurpose Room of the Trabant University Center.

To sign up, contact the Blood Bank of Delmarva at (302) 737-8400. All students, faculty, staff, and members of the community are eligible and urged to take part.

The CAA Blood Challenge was developed by the conference presidents as a fun way to emphasize the critical importance of donating blood. Each CAA institution works with its local blood service center and designates one day during the fall semester to conduct a campus-wide blood drive. Student groups, faculty, staff and alumni are all encouraged to participate.

The Challenge got underway on September 8 at the College of William & Mary and continued on Sept. 22 at Georgia State, Sept. 23 at Virginia Commonwealth, and Sept. 24 at UNC Wilmington. The event will continue on October 13 at Hofstra, Oct. 23 at James Madison, Oct. 29 at Drexel, Nov. 2 at George Mason and Northeastern, Nov. 9 at Towson, and November 18 at Old Dominion and Delaware.

The Blue Hens won each of the first four Blood Challenges beginning in 2002 before placing second during the last three events. In 2008, Delaware had 604 donors, trailing only Drexel’s 816.

The 2008 event surpassed all previous records for the sixth consecutive year. Last fall, 3,472 actual donors participated in the event, and 3,632 productive units of blood were collected from the 12 CAA campuses. That total represents a 6.9 percent increase in the amount of blood collected from last year’s challenge and more than three times the amount from the first campaign in 2002.

“The success of the CAA Blood Challenge is a source of pride for the conference and its member institutions,” said CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager. “To have collected over 17,000 units of blood during the past seven years is an incredible accomplishment. The event grows each year, and we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and participation on each of our campuses. I applaud the institutions for undertaking this life-saving project.”