Annual Battle of Badges blood drive launches Monday
The 22nd Battle of the Badges gets underway on Monday.
Wichita police, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel will compete to see which service gets the most votes among blood and platelet donors between Dec. 12 and 31.
Along with voting for their favorite, blood donors will receive a Battle of the Badges T-shirt, while supplies last.
The friendly competition is held late in the year because holiday schedules and travel plans make it more challenging for regular donors to give, Red Cross spokeswoman Jen Hale said in a statement.
Many businesses and organizations do not host blood drives during the holiday season. Those factors can lead to a decline in blood donations, Hale said.
People wanting to make an appointment for the 2016 Battle of the Badges can download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Nearly 25,000 blood donations have been collected through the 21 years of the event, Hale said.
Stan Finger: 316-268-6437, @StanFinger
This story was originally published December 10, 2016 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Annual Battle of Badges blood drive launches Monday."