Blood Donors Give Kentucky Win Over Tennessee in Big Blue Crush
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 24, 2020) — Tennessee fans made up ground with 489 donations on the final day of the competition last Friday, Nov. 20, but Kentucky closed out the annual Big Blue Crush battle with 432 donations and the big win. That brought the final score to 2,174 for the Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) and 2,060 for Medic Regional Blood Center in Knoxville.
“Despite all of the challenges we’ve faced this year, the Big Blue Nation of blood donors should be proud of this year’s Crush performance,” said KBC Vice President of External Relations Mandy Brajuha. “It feels great to crush the Vols on and off the field, but the real winners here are the Kentucky patients who will need the donated blood in the weeks ahead.
“With donations down about 40% this fall, the blood collected during Big Blue Crush goes a long way to making sure blood is on the shelves to save Kentucky lives this holiday season.”
Big Blue Crush ensures an adequate blood supply for the Thanksgiving holiday and into December. Kentucky now leads the rivalry 19 to 13 with one tie. Kentucky has claimed victory in 10 of the last 11 annual events. Over the past 33 years, more than 172,000 blood donations have been collected by the two blood centers to help local patients in each state.
It’s not too late for donors to impact the holiday blood supply. To find a donation location or schedule an appointment, visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800-775-2522.
COVID-19 Information: Blood donation is considered essential and is safe. Masks, distancing, increased sanitization and other measures ensure donation is safe for donors and staff.
About Kentucky Blood Center
Celebrating more than 50 years of saving lives in Kentucky, KBC is the largest independent, full-service, nonprofit blood center in Kentucky. Licensed by the FDA, KBC’s sole purpose is to collect, process and distribute blood for patients in Kentucky. KBC provides services in 90 Kentucky counties and has donor centers in Lexington, Louisville, Pikeville and Somerset.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.