We’re just two weeks from when Penn State’s football season really starts: when James Franklin publishes his “West Virginia, West Virginia, West Virginia!” hype video.

In the meantime, however, Penn Staters can beat the Mountaineers off the field. The two schools have announced a blood drive competition on Thursday, August 29, two days before Penn State’s season opener. The school that receives the most blood donations will be announced as the winner during the football game. 

Folks looking to donate blood can do so from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 29 at Heritage Hall in the HUB. Participants should register for the blood drive via the American Red Cross Website at RedCrossBlood.org or through the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or by enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.  

The challenge comes as the Red Cross has declared an “emergency blood and platelet shortage” and is asking for increased donations ahead of August 31. In January, the organization announced that blood donors were at a 20-year low, and in August, the Red Cross said its supplies had dwindled by 25%