USC Fans Top Clemson's in 'Donate Life Duel'

The Gamecocks not only beat the Tigers on the football field this weekend.

While the USC Gamecocks this past Saturday were making history by beating the Clemson Tigers four straight years for only the second time in history, Gamecocks fans had a first by besting Tiger fans in the fourth annual 'Donate Life Duel,' a competition between the two rivals to see who could sign up the most people as life-saving organ donors.

Donate Life South Carolina, LifePoint, and The Heather Trew Foundation announced Monday that the 2012 Donate Life Duel signed up more than 1,400 organ, eye, and tissue donors in this year’s competition. 

Fans of the Gamecocks won the friendly duel against Tiger fans for the first time in the challenge’s four-year history. Only 84 registrants separated the Gamecock fans from the Tiger fans. 

The Donate Life Duel is the most successful single event for registering donors in South Carolina and is responsible for signing up more than 6,800 organ, eye and tissue donors during the past four years. The 2012 Donate Life Duel began on October 1 and concluded on November 23.

Final results of the two month campaign:

• USC Gamecocks: 785 (53%) of the organ/tissue donors signed up
• Clemson Tigers: 701 (47%) of the organ/tissue donors signed up
• 2012 Donate Life Duel Total: 1,486 organ/tissue donors signed up

More than 116,000 people in the United States are waiting for a life-saving transplant. That is more people than fill the stands at Williams-Brice Stadium or Death Valley on game day. Unfortunately, an average of 18 of those on the waiting list die each day before receiving a transplant. Approximately 1,000 people are on the South Carolina transplant waiting list.

For more info, or to become a donor yourself, visit DonateLifeSC.org.