March 27, 2007

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Colorado State led all Mountain West Conference member institutions in the second annual Rebuilding Lives Blood Drive Challenge.

The Rams competed against the Conference's other eight institutions to earn distinction as this year's champions, collecting 98 pints of blood. MWC Associate Commissioner, Carolayne Henry, presented Colorado State Athletics Director Paul Kowalczyk with the community service trophy at the 2007 MWC Basketball Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., in early March.

Each institution set aside a day in January or February to collect campus-wide blood donations with the help of local blood service centers. The schools promoted the event on their campuses and encouraged student groups, faculty, staff and alumni to participate. Together, the nine MWC institutions accumulated 543 pints for the contest, which was initiated in 2006 by the MWC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in an effort to engage member institutions in a community service project focused on the importance of donating blood. With every pint of blood, a potential three lives can be saved, which means the Conference amassed enough collections to provide much needed blood to 1,629 people. Air Force Academy won the inaugural competition in 2006.