We Finished in the Top 5 in the We Give Blood Competition!
December 12, 2025 10:47 AM

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

On behalf of global healthcare company, Abbott, the Big Ten Conference, and the University of Illinois, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to every member of our community who donated or presented to donate blood during year two of Abbott and the Big Ten’s We Give Blood drive competition.🩸 Your generosity and commitment helped the Fighting Illini finish in fifth place among the 18 Big Ten schools with 5,131 donations! 🏆

We are up from eighth place in last year’s competition, and we had a 5.4 times increase in overall donors, as compared to 2024. You showed up, donated and proved you bleed orange and blue, all while saving countless lives. 

This accomplishment is more than a number. It represents thousands of lives touched and saved because of your willingness to step up and make a difference. In fact, thanks to your efforts, an estimated 15,393 lives will be impacted (one donation can impact up to three lives). 💪 Every pint of blood donated can help patients in critical need, from accident victims to mothers in childbirth and those battling serious illnesses. 

We also want to celebrate the collective strength of the Big Ten Conference. Together, our universities contributed 83,043 donations, impacting nearly 250,000 lives, showing what’s possible when we unite for a common cause. 🌟 And congratulations to the University of Wisconsin on winning it all this year and receiving $1 million from Abbott toward student or community health. 

Thank you for proving that Illinois leads not only in academics and innovation but also in compassion and service. 💙 We are proud of what we accomplished together this year, and we hope you consider making blood donation a regular part of your commitment to helping others.

I-L-L! 🔸🔹

Student Affairs
studentaffairs.illinois.edu