Wisconsin urges fans to donate as Badgers battle Huskers in blood drive

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Blood drive at St. Matthew's in Oak Creek

MADISON, Wis. - The second annual We Give Blood drive is underway, bringing together Abbott Health and the Big Ten for a months-long competition to boost blood donations.

What we know:

The drive runs from Aug. 27 to Dec. 5 and encourages students, alumni and fans to log their donations on behalf of their school. The winning university will earn $1 million for student and community health programs.

Last year, Nebraska dominated the competition, while Wisconsin finished second with just over 2,000 donors. This year, participation has surged across the conference, with more than 60,000 donations reported and several weeks still remaining.

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Wisconsin and Nebraska are currently in a tight race, with Wisconsin holding a narrow lead at about 11,300 donors.

Organizers are urging Badger supporters across the state – and beyond – to donate blood and register their contribution at bigten.org/abbott. Donors can receive a limited-edition "Badgers Give Blood" T-shirt, and supporters who have already donated this fall can still log prior donations with proof. 

Organizers say the most important thing is rallying Badger pride through community support.