Northern Michigan University took second place in the 15th annual Gift of Life Michigan Campus Challenge. Fourteen schools engaged in a friendly competition to register students as organ, tissue and eye donors. During the five-week challenge, about 1,400 individuals signed up across the state. NMU placed second in both number of students registered, with 206, and percentage of the student body registered, with 2.91. 

NMU was one of three schools to take over the Gift of Life Michigan’s Instagram account for a day, using the platform to inspire other students to sign up as donors. Participating universities also staffed tables on campus, shared content on social media and published articles in on-campus news outlets.  

“We are thrilled with the results of this college donor drive competition,” said Dorrie Dils, chief executive officer of Gift of Life Michigan. “Through their efforts to sign up residents on the Donor Registry, these students have given the gift of hope to the 3,327 Michigan patients currently waiting for an organ transplant and the tens of thousands more in need of tissue and cornea transplants.”

NMU received a "shout out" on Gift of Life Michigan's Facebook account for "holding on tight to their second-place spot and signing up more donors than last year."

According to its website, the Gift of Life Michigan Campus Challenge is one of the most successful organ donation college outreach programs in the nation, and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Wayne State University won this year's competition with 465 students registered.