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Want your school to win? Then don't give up.

1. GIVE BLOOD. Click here to find an ImpactLife Donor Center, Find a mobile blood drive near you or at Big Ten Blood Drive below. Every donation scores one point for your school on the leaderboard. The winning school will receive $1,000,000 to advance student or community health.  Click here for details.

University of Illinois Blood Drives  
University of Wisconsin-Madison Blood Drives
University of Iowa Blood Drives

2. SUBMIT YOUR DONATION. Thank you for donating! You’ve done the hard part, now for the easy part. Just select your school affiliation, choose "Other" for Donation Center/Mobile Blood Drive and provide proof of donation. This includes a few details about yourself, your donation and a photo or other proof that shows you donated blood.

SUBMIT YOUR DONATION 

Examples of proof of donation

Not sure what to submit? Your proof of donation can be as simple as a photo of yourself donating blood or a screenshot of your post-donation thank-you message. Here are a couple of examples:

Example of a blood donor taking a photo while donating
Example of a post-donation thank-you message

3. CHECK THE LEADERBOARD. Results are real-time so you can keep a close watch on how your school is doing.

CHECK THE LEADERBOARD

Big10: We Give Blood Drive

  • Fighting Illini Blood Drive for ImpactLife
  • University of Iowa - 10.22.2024
    We bleed black & gold! Today was all about Hawkeyes helping Hawkeyes at the Big Ten Conference We Give Blood Drive, made possible in partnership with Abbott.
  • University of Iowa - 10.22.2024 - 2
    We bleed black & gold! Today was all about Hawkeyes helping Hawkeyes at the Big Ten Conference We Give Blood Drive, made possible in partnership with Abbott.
  • University of Iowa - 10.22.2024 - 3
    We bleed black & gold! Today was all about Hawkeyes helping Hawkeyes at the Big Ten Conference We Give Blood Drive, made possible in partnership with Abbott.
  • University of Illinois student giving blood for ImpactLife
  • University of Iowa - 10.22.2024 - 5
    We bleed black & gold! Today was all about Hawkeyes helping Hawkeyes at the Big Ten Conference We Give Blood Drive, made possible in partnership with Abbott.

Prize Details:
The winning school will be announced at the 2026 Discover® Big Ten Football Championship Game on December 5, 2026 and win a $1,000,000 dollar grant to advance student or community health.

Spread the word

Below are images and infographics ready to share to spread the word about the We Give Blood Drive! All you need to do is right click and "Save Image As," on desktop or hold and save photo on mobile.

University of Illinois

I Bleed Orange & Blue   I Bleed Blue & Orange

University of Iowa

I bleed black and gold I bleed black and gold

University of Wisconsin

I Bleed Red & White   I Bleed Red & White

Big Ten & Abbott

We Give Blood Graphic

Infographic

Frequently asked questions

What should I know before donating blood?
Generally, you will want to make an appointment to donate blood ahead of time and fill out the eligibility questionnaire that is provided. Before you head to your appointment, you should eat a healthy meal and make sure you’re hydrated. While blood donation only takes about 10 minutes once you’ve started, plan for the entire appointment to take about an hour between the health assessment, preparation and recovery time.

Where can I donate blood for the competition?
You can donate on campus, at blood drives near you and any other blood center. You can use our locator to find the most convenient blood center near you in the U.S. You can donate blood any time between August 26 and December 4 and upload proof of donation at BigTen.Org/Abbott/Submit.

How do I know if I’m eligible to donate?
Generally, you need to be at least 17 years old, or 16 years old w/parental permission, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. For the purpose of this campaign, donations will count towards the school if the donor is 18 years old or older. However, there are a lot of factors that might impact your ability to donate blood today.

Common reasons you may not be able to donate include anemia, having a new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months, some heart conditions or heart-related medications, certain vaccinations if administered recently, travel to countries at risk for certain infectious diseases, such as malaria, and not taking antibiotics. To learn more about eligibility, call 800-747-5401 or email hello@impactlife.org.

How do I ensure my donation counts for my school?
Easy! Just upload your proof of donation to BigTen.Org/Abbott/Submit and select your school affiliation. Proof of donation includes a few details about yourself, your donation and a photo of you that attests you donated blood. See examples of proof of donation here.

How long does it take to donate?
Blood donation usually takes about an hour from start to finish, with the actual blood collection itself lasting about 10 minutes. The donation process includes registration, a brief medical screening, blood collection and post-donation refreshments.

What can you tell me about the FDA’s changes to the donation policy for men who have sex with men?
The FDA made changes to blood donor eligibility in 2023. Those changes include modifications to travel restrictions and a new individual risk assessment screening process. With this change, gay and bisexual men may donate blood without a deferral period in some cases.

What counts as proof of donation for the competition?
Proof of donation or the attempt to donate can be submitted in a few different ways. You can view examples of types of proof of donation here. Any one of the displayed options will confirm your donation or attempt to donate. Please do not upload proof of donation that includes any personal health data or information.

How does the competition work?
In this competition, 1 blood donation = 1 point. The formula is simple because the impact is simple. Eligible participants are able to donate at any blood donation center or blood drive. Once donation is complete, participants are able to submit the proof of their donation on our website here so their efforts can be counted towards the university of their choice. 

I’m not eligible to donate, or my donation was unsuccessful, how can I participate?
This campaign is about creating the next generation of lifetime donors, just because you’re not eligible to donate doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. Here’s how you can make an impact, even if you’re not able to donate: 

  • If you aren’t eligible to donate blood yourself but want to make a difference for your school and community, we would encourage you to enlist friends to donate. 
  • You can help spread the word by using the #WeGiveBlood on your personal social media channels throughout the 2026 Big Ten football season 
  • And don’t worry, if you present to donate blood but are deemed not eligible, you will still be eligible to win the competition sweepstakes.

If I presented to donate blood but was unsuccessful, does my school still get a point?
No, your school will not get a point if you are unsuccessful in your attempt to donate. However, you can still make an impact in your local community by sharing about “The We Give Blood Drive” on your social channels and within your community including family and friends.

What is Abbott’s interest in blood donation?
As a global leader in screening blood and plasma, Abbott diagnostic solutions are used to screen more than 50% of the world’s blood supply. As a result of careful donor selection, blood centers’ work and Abbott testing, millions of people each year safely receive donated blood via transfusions.