The latter half of November in South Carolina is largely dominated by one central event: the Carolina-Clemson football game. Played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, it's more than a game in more ways than one for many students and fans.
Sometimes that manifests in bench-clearing brawls, but often it inspires a burst of charitable giving that gives fans a meaningful avenue for their strong feelings.
In its 33rd year, the Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive is perhaps the best known example of a donation drive that inspires donors with game-related passion.
Fourth-year nursing students Logan Ayscue and Gabby Colapietro, who serve as the student president and vice president of the Blood Drive, are grateful for the chance to advocate for a cause they're passionate about.
"It entices people that maybe are on the edge of [donating]," Ayscue explained.
And according to them, USC has a "home field advantage" when the game is played at Williams-Brice. This is because the winner is based on the number of pints collected during these years and USC has a larger student body than Clemson.
Ayscue and Colapietro are optimistic about their chances.
"We always have a big rush Thursday and Friday, so hopefully our numbers will be super high," Ayscue said.
Donations sites are set up throughout campus, and Red Cross official Maya Franklin explained that the process of donating is relatively fast. The majority of the time in the process is spent filling out paperwork, and Red Cross staff are on site to assist students in completing the necessary forms.
For students that can't donate blood but still want to contribute to the fight, there are volunteer opportunities. Indeed, that's how Colapietro got involved.
"I definitely never gave blood before my sophomore year, and I definitely gave blood because of Clemson," she said.
Organizers understand that the rivalry is a critical part of getting people to come out. It's what inspired Ayscue to first get involved in her sophomore year.
"Well my freshman year I just signed up as a regular volunteer ... I remember we were at the Blatt location on the bus and it was freezing, but I really liked it," she said. "So then I applied to be on the committee." She then "worked her way up" from vice president to president.
The "Donate Life Duel," in its ninth year, is a more recent addition to the slew of rivalry-related drives. The project encourages fans to register as organ donors via Donate Life South Carolina. Participants can register online using school-specific links, and the organization posts "score updates" each day on their Facebook page.
USC's 2017 goal is to register 1,500 new donors. This year's winner will break a 4-4 tie between the two schools.
Other organizations use rivalry-related events to spark fundraising. The Game Ball Run has been a hallmark of the weeks leading up Carolina's meet up with the Tigers since 1977. Members of USC's Sigma Nu fraternity partner with their counterparts at Clemson and literally run a football from one campus to the other.
Brothers will run a total of about 140 miles, with each chapter taking about 90 miles. This year's ball will arrive Friday then parade from Greek Village to Williams-Brice Stadium. The whole project is a way to raise funds for a charity selected by the chapter.
This year's choice is The Jed Foundation, which works on suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Sigma Nu was inspired to support this organization after the death of a brother last year. Their fundraising goal is $25,000.
Sometimes, the giving extends beyond the days leading up to the game. The rivalry made headlines in October when news that Clemson alumni wanted to raise money for a billboard in Columbia led a Carolina grad to call for Gamecocks to donate their money to hurricane relief.
Fans responded by donating thousands to relief efforts in Puerto Rico, and Clemson fans reacted in kind by donating to an Upstate charity for children in foster care.
"It feels good to help people and spite Clemson simultaneously," one donor wrote on Twitter at the time.