The Colonial Athletic Association’s eighth annual Blood Challenge broke records for actual donors and units of blood collected at the conference’s 12 member campuses. Drexel led all CAA schools for the fourth consecutive year.

The challenge began in 2002 and has collected 22,101 productive units of blood in the last eight years. The 2009 total is a 20.4 percent increase over the amount of blood collected through the challenge in 2008. Drexel had 861 actual donors and collected 859 productive units of blood. Delaware finished second, followed by Virginia Commonwealth and Georgia State.

Drexel Athletics Director Eric Zillmer said the school was delighted to win the challenge but more proud of the lives their donations will save.

“This initiative exemplifies Drexel’s mission to provide students with the opportunity to lead and serve their campus and community,” Zillmer said. “Simultaneously, institutional pride around this event continues to grow and strengthen meaningful partnerships with the American Red Cross and local corporate sponsors.”

The challenge allows each of the member schools to work with a local blood service center to designate one day during the fall term to conduct a campus-wide blood drive. Each campus contributed more than 135 units per campus, bringing the total collected this year to more than 4,300 units.

“The outstanding efforts put forth by our students, faculty and administrators impacts the lives of thousands of people during a critical time for blood donations over the holiday season,” said Commissioner Tom Yeager. “The conference thanks all of the people who took time to donate blood and the volunteers who have allowed this program to grow each year and have made this event such a big success.”