Cats Fans Give Blood This Week in 31st Annual Big Blue Crush
LEXINGTON,Ky. (Nov. 12, 2018) — Whose fans make the most blood donations — University of Kentucky or University of Tennessee? It’s time to find out in the 31st annual Big Blue Crush, the yearly blood battle between the Cats and the Vols, which is this week, Nov. 12-16.
Students, faculty and staff can donate at the convenient campus drives listed below.
- Gatton Student Center (Room 330AB): 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
- William T. Young Library (Bloodmobile in Visitor Lot): 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday
- Singletary Center for the Arts: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday
- Johnson Center: 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday
- Chandler Hospital (Bloodmobile at employee drop off on Rose Street): 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday
To assure a sufficient blood supply for the holidays, Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) and Medic Regional Blood Center in Knoxville have had an ongoing, friendly competition to see whose donors can give the most blood the week prior to Thanksgiving week. UK has won the past eight years and leads the rivalry 17 to 12 with one tie.
As a thank you for saving a life, Kentucky donors will receive a tie-dyed Bleed Blue T-shirt and a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Kentucky-University of Louisville football game on Nov. 24, in Louisville. Campus donors will also be entered into a drawing for an Apple iWatch.
“Big Blue Crush is our biggest week of the year because there is a big need for blood donors right now," said Martha Osborne, KBC’s vice president of marketing. "With the holidays coming up we have to be sure there is enough blood on the shelves at a time when people are busy celebrating the season and not really thinking about donating. Plus, it’s always a good thing to bleed blue and beat Tennessee!”
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, show a photo ID and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at http://kybloodcenter.org.
Walk-ins are welcome. To schedule a donation, visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800-775-2522.
About Kentucky Blood Center
Celebrating 50 years of saving lives in Kentucky, KBC is the largest independent, full-service, nonprofit blood center in Kentucky. Licensed by the Food and Drug Administration, 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.