N.C. Central University won bragging rights as the leader in this year’s American Red Cross’s Historically Black College and University Health Promotion Alliance Blood Drive Competition.

NCCU beat out neighboring HBCUs, North Carolina A&T, Shaw University, and Fayetteville State University. NCCU collected 738 pints of blood from students and staff.

The University Eagle Pride Blood Drive Planning Committee organized the drive.

“We did so well because we organized and planned the drive like a business,” said associate professor of health education Ted Parrish, a co-chair of the committee.

NCCU received a $5,000 grant this past summer from the National Advisory Council on Diversity for The American Red Cross.

The Central N.C. Chapter of the ARC also contributed another $5,000 to the Department of Health Education.

These grants were given to help educate potential minority donors on the importance of donating blood and bone marrow.