Battle of the Badges brings on competition for most blood and platelets donors

Now in its 21st year, the Battle of the Badges is a friendly competition among local law enforcement officers, firefighters and Emergency Medical Services crews to determine who can bring in the most blood and platelet donors for the American Red Cross.

Area residents can join the blood drive and give blood or make platelet donations. The drive runs Thursday through Jan. 3 at the Wichita Blood Donation Center, 707 N. Main.

“The yearly event helps the American Red Cross collect blood during this difficult holiday season,” said Kelli Carpenter, donor recruitment and accounts manager at the American Red Cross. “It is a time when donors get very busy and we don’t do a lot of blood donations, so we reach out to the community. We ask for life-saving donations.”

The goal is to raise 1,400 pints of blood and more than 500 units of platelets.

“In 20 years, the Wichita/Sedgwick County responders have helped us collect over 23,000 pints of blood,” Carpenter said. “Every pint of blood saves (up) to three lives. That is up to 70,000 hospital patients that have been affected by this community blood drive.”

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Battle of the Badges brings on competition for most blood and platelets donors."