Fierce competition inspires collecting blood for a great cause with 100 Miles of Hope

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Blood donations are on the decline, but a fierce competition between longtime rivals is helping to collect some much-needed blood.

The 100 Miles of Hope is inspired by the 100 Miles of Hates, a long-time rivalry between Western Kentucky University and Middle Tennessee State University.

For over 20 years, the universities and their communities have held a competition collecting blood and pitting their efforts against each other.

On average, a regular blood drive collects about 20 pints a day. This competition seems to inspire locals as that rate goes to around 80 pints a day, and over a three-day span, that blood can mean a lot, especially when tragedy hits.

“I mean, it’s critical because we’ve had those, you know, lapses with the hurricanes and all that. So, you know, blood circulates where it needs to go, right? So some of our blood could be helping others that, you know, they can’t collect in their community,” said Janice Prochaska, an account manager with the Red Cross.

The drive is open to everyone, and if you would like to schedule a time, you can do so here and bring that trophy back to Bowling Green.