News

S.C. First Responders Compete to Save Lives in `Badges for Blood`

Teddy Kulmala

08/04/2015

Aug. 03--YORK -- York County first responders are laying down their arms in a friendly competitive blood drive to save lives.

"Badges for Blood" kicked off Monday at the Moss Justice Center. The fourth annual blood drive pits law enforcement agencies against each other to see who can collect the most units of blood.

The sheriff's office and Piedmont EMS got together three years ago to come up with a way to increase blood donations.

"We made it a competition," sheriff's spokesman Trent Faris said. "Whoever has the most people donate, in employees, would win the trophy."

Blood drive a friendly competition to save lives

The 4th annual "Badges for Blood" drive began Monday. The friendly competition between the York County Sheriff's Office and Piedmont EMS is to see how many employees we can get to donate blood. Other law enforcement and first responders also participate.

To reach out and allow other first responder agencies to get in on the competition, the sheriff's office is opening a second drive in Rock Hill on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the sheriff's office District 3 office, 515 S. Cherry Road. Piedmont Medical Center on Friday will have its blood drive from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the hospital's Women's Tower auditorium.

Faris said his department's goal is to collect 70 donations this week.

The drive comes at a time when blood banks are particularly in need of donations, according to Lori Haas, donor recruiter for Community Blood Center of the Carolinas.

"Summer is tough because a lot of people take vacations," she said. "It's a difficult time to collect because of the numerous days of heat. People just don't feel up to donating blood."

High school and college blood drives generate about 25 percent of Community Blood Center's donations, Haas said, so during the summer, they rely more on churches, law enforcement and other organizations that host blood drives.

Each donation stays local and saves up to three lives.

Teddy Kulmala: 803-329-4082, @teddy_kulmala

Want to give?

Any person donating must be at least 17 years old, weigh 110 pounds and have a valid ID. For more information, visit Community Blood Center of the Carolinas' website at www.cbcc.us.