'Battle of the Badges' begins today; Red Cross issues appeal for blood

The American Red Cross is currently under a national appeal for blood, officials said.

With the extreme heat and other factors leading to fewer donations in recent months, the organization continues to have an emergency need for donors of all blood types, a news release said.

"Right now, we're under an appeal for blood because collections are so low," American Red Cross Blood Services-Central Plains Region Donor Recruitment Representative Debbie Cox said. "Our collections are not meeting needs right now."

"We're hoping lots of people come out in the next two days to donate because we sure need it," Cox added.

If at least two additional donors give -- above what the American Red Cross already expects to collect -- the blood supply would be sufficient to meet patient needs, the release said.

Red Cross donations are at the lowest they have been in 15 years. Public support from the organization's late-June appeal helped to temporarily stem the decline in the blood supply. However, the mid-week Independence Day and extreme summer weather have contributed to a decrease in donations lately, the release said.

"We cannot say 'thank you' enough to the blood donors who have already rolled up a sleeve this summer," Central Plains Blood Services Region CEO Terri Dunaway said in the release. "We appreciate the support we've received from donors throughout Kansas and northern Oklahoma. We're encouraging all eligible donors who didn't have a chance to give yet to step up and help patients by making an appointment, as well as those who gave earlier this spring and are now eligible again."

Area residents can donate at the Battle of the Badges Blood Drive, scheduled to take place from 12:45 to 7 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Ave. Appointments can also be made by calling (800) 733-2767, or online at www.redcrossblood.org. All presenting donors will receive a free Battle of the Badges T-shirt.

The annual Battle of the Badges event is a friendly competition between local law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel to see who can donate the most blood. Anyone can get involved in the event by donating blood and voting for their favorite public safety department.

Cox said the Red Cross hopes to collect 131 units of blood during the two-day drive. Donated blood goes where it is needed in the Central Plains Region, which covers most of Kansas and a small portion of northern Oklahoma. Blood is supplied to Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott.

At last year's Battle of the Badges event, 132 units of blood were collected.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. As the nation's single largest supplier of blood and blood products, the Red Cross is dedicated to ensuring that every patient who needs a lifesaving transfusion is able to receive one. In fact, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 pints of blood each day to meet the needs of patients at more than 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country, the release said.

A blood donor card or driver's license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in when donating. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 in Kansas with a completed parental consent form), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to fulfill its mission.

For more information, visit www.redcross.org or join the organization's blog at http://blog.redcross.org.