USC Teams Up With UGA for Blood Drive

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — “He was looking for prayers and for blood to help not only his daughter but others,” says Brad Muller, Senior Director of Communications for the Carolina Alumni Association. For the past month, Andy Copeland has been by his daughter, 24 year old Aimee Copeland’s side, watching her fight to survive against a flesh eating bacteria. She contracted the illness in May after falling from a homemade zipline into a Georgia river. Since then, the bacteria has taken a foot, leg and both of her hands. “Within the first few weeks of being in the hospital she went through 200 units of blood,” says Muller. But she’s still alive and now her Dad is asking for your help. “He had seen other victims of burns or other major catastrophies in the hospital where his daughter is and he just realized there’s a need for blood everywhere,” says Muller. So Copeland, a 1983 graduate of USC, contacted the Alumni Association at USC and the University of Georgia asking them to sponsor a blood drive. “A border bash if you will between USC and the University of Georgia, you hear about it so much with football and other sports and he figured why not do something that’s a little more meaningful in terms of life lessons and things like that,” says Muller. The schools agreed. “If it takes a tragedy such as this or hard times such as this cna help bring it to life htat there is always a need for blood donations, then that’s what we are going to do,” says Muller. Now all they need is for you to donate. “No blood donation is going to be wasted, whether it goes to Aimee Copeland or another individual, you are going to help save a life,” says Muller. The Border Bash blood drive from Aimee Copeland will be held June 11, 2012 in the house owned by Sigma Phi Epsilon National Housing Corporation at 509 Lincoln Street in the Greek Village from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. If you are unable to give then or would like to give in honor of Aimee Copeland before then, the Red Cross Columbia Donor Center at 2751 Bull Street is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. The University of Georgia will hold its blood drive at Memorial Hall on campus, June 13, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and at Reed Hall from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. For more information visit www.mycarolina.org