Northwest Missouri State University collected enough units of blood at its recent drive to win a competition and impact 1,176 lives. 

According to a news release from the university, the Student Senate blood drive October 11-13 in cooperation with the Community Blood Center resulted in 392 units of blood collected, which won a competition with Missouri Western State University to collect the most blood. 

“Every day over 600 blood products leave Community Blood Center going to hospitals to treat the needs of patients,” David Graham, executive director of the Community Blood Center, said. “We could not meet this need and fulfill our mission without the generous support of volunteer blood donors and the hard work and dedication of individuals and organizations who sponsor blood drives. I am always grateful for the support we receive from area colleges and universities, but as a Northwest graduate I am especially proud of the productive blood drives consistently produced there.” 

Northwest outpaced its daily totals from last year’s fall blood drive, collecting more than 100 units on each day of the blood drive. 

In September, for the second consecutive year, the Community Blood Center recognized Northwest and its Student Senate as the top university among participating institutions in the area. In 2015, Northwest donors provided 768 units of blood, more than 530 more than the second-place university. 

Blood from volunteer donors assists cancer patients recovering from the rigors of chemotherapy, car crash victims needing blood for emergency surgeries or mothers needing blood as the result of traumatic birth deliveries. It is estimated three lives are saved with every unit collected.