Bloody rivalry.

Byline: Mark Baker The Register-Guard

Correction (published Nov. 7, 2009): City/Region: Aimee Schmidt's name was misspelled Friday on Page B1 in a story about the Civil War Blood Drive.

Whether you bleed green and yellow or black and orange or just plain red, your blood is wanted.

"It's just really important that we have a real good Civil War Blood Drive because we've been in the midst of flu season and the holidays are coming up," said Cathie Conklin, community relations director at the Lane Memorial Blood Bank. "And the blood we collect takes us through the first part of January," Conklin said.

Blood is good for 42 days after it is drawn, so blood collected at the end of the annual drive, on Nov. 21, will be good until Jan. 2.

"It gets us through Christmas, which is a very difficult time to get people to donate blood," said the blood bank's Kristi McElhinney, who was on hand Thursday morning at the University of Oregon's Casanova Center to help kick off the eighth annual drive. Billed as "Rivals for Life," the Civil War Blood Drive encourages UO and Oregon State University fans to donate blood before the annual Civil War football game between the schools, vote for their favorite team and register for a chance to win two tickets to this year's Dec. 3 matchup at Autzen Stadium.

The Beavers have won the blood drive battle five out of seven times since it began in 2002.

"Because they're awesome," explained OSU fan, Kim Dion, as she lay across from the UO Duck mascot himself in the Lane Memorial Bloodmobile parked in front of the Casanova Center, which houses the UO athletic department offices next to Autzen Stadium on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Conklin is hoping the Pac-10-leading UO's success on the football field this year will create more interest among Duck fans this year when it comes to having a needle stuck in their veins.

Last year, OSU fans out-donated UO fans, 4,196 to 3,339.

The blood bank teams with the Pacific Northwest Red Cross Blood Services and the UO and OSU alumni associations to run the drive every November and increase blood donations heading into the holidays, not to mention the cold and flu season, when donations typically decrease. Last year, when ice storms and record snowfall hit the Northwest, power outages and dangerous road conditions caused a reduction in donations and the blood collected by Duck and Beaver fans in November lessened the shortage, according to the blood bank.

Amy Schmidt, who works in the UO athletic department's marketing office, said the Civil War rivalry "adds a little" to giving blood. And, yes, she "of course" voted for the Ducks on Thursday.

Twenty-three people donated blood during the three-hour kickoff event, Conklin said.

"Because I wanted to give blood and I wanted to support the Ducks," said real estate agent Deena Cummings, another Duck fan who has one of the most common blood types, O positive. That and the other most common blood type, A positive, are in greatest need right now.

And if you don't think any Beaver fans had the gall to show up and donate blood right at the foot of Autzen, well, not so.

"I'm a Beaver fan," Kim Dion cautioned as the Duck approached her. Suddenly, something that sounded like breaking wind came from the Duck's bill.

"It sounded like a raspberry," said Chris Stockdale, the blood bank's community affairs manager.

"I'm not against (the Ducks)," Dion said. "I'm marrying one, but ... ."

But you've got to vote with your heart. And give blood with it, too.

"Mainly, I wanted my name in the drawing for the Civil War tickets," Dion said.

CIVIL WAR BLOOD DRIVE

Who can donate: You must be in good health, at least 16 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated for 56 days. Call 484-9111 to make an appointment at the Lane Memorial Blood Bank, 2211 Willamette St.

UO campus drive: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from Nov. 17 through Nov. 21 at the Erb Memorial Union

OSU campus drive: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from Monday through Nov. 12 at the Memorial Union Building

Greatest need: The two most common blood types, O positive and A positive.

Information: www.CivilWarBloodDrive.com or www.lmbb.org

Tickets: Donors are eligible to enter a drawing for two tickets to the Civil War football game at Autzen Stadium on Dec. 3. The drawing will be on Nov. 24.