Kentucky Blood Donors Lead Going into Day 3

of

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 18. 2015) — More than 550 Kentucky fans generously donated blood Tuesday during the 28th annual Big Blue Crush and stretched Kentucky’s lead over Tennessee, 1,060 to 753.

“Kentucky fans have a long tradition of saving the lives of Kentucky patients, and we appreciate that they are stepping up again this year,” said Martha Osborne, executive director of marketing and recruitment for Kentucky Blood Center (KBC). “We have three days left in this blood battle, and we know anything can still happen. We hope to see another 1,500 Kentuckians in the next three days in order to meet the holiday season needs of Kentucky hospitals.”

Big Blue Crush continues through Friday.

This yearly competition between Kentucky Blood Center and Medic Regional Blood Center in Knoxville pits fans of the Cats and the Tennessee Volunteers to see who can donate the most blood the week before Thanksgiving. Kentucky leads the competition 14 to 12 with one tie and has won the competition the last five years.

Donors will receive a Big Blue Crush T-shirt and a chance to win tickets to the Kentucky-Louisville football game on Nov. 28.

Blood donors must be 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, show a photo I.D. and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at kybloodcenter.org.

KBC’s five donor centers will be open special hours – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. – during Crush week. There will also be daily mobile blood drives throughout the region. Donor centers are listed below, and blood drive locations can be found at kybloodcenter.org.

Lexington - Beaumont Donor Center

3121 Beaumont Centre Circle

Lexington – Andover Donor Center

3130 Maple Leaf Drive

Louisville – Middletown Donor Center

12905 Shelbyville Road

Pikeville Donor Center

472 S. Mayo Drive

Somerset Donor Center

10 Stonegate Centre (Stoplight 16-A)

About Kentucky Blood Center

KBC, founded in 1968, is the largest independent, full-service, non-profit blood center in Kentucky. Licensed by the FDA, KBC’s sole purpose is to collect, process and distribute blood for patients in Kentucky hospitals.

Every two seconds someone needs blood. It could be a premature infant struggling for life, a firefighter suffering from burns, a neighbor undergoing chemotherapy treatment for leukemia, a truck driver injured in an auto accident or a young student with a congenital blood disorder. It’s for those patients and more that KBC exists.

All blood that is donated with KBC is returned to the Beaumont Donor Center where it is processed, prepared and stored for shipment to Kentucky hospitals.

Blood needs are ongoing. Red cells last only 42 days and must be continually replenished to adequately support Kentucky hospitals. Statistics show that one in seven hospital patients will require blood transfusions during their stay. However, only 37 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood and less than 10 percent does. All blood types are needed, and there is a particular need for type O negative blood since it is the “universal donor” and needed in emergencies when the patient’s blood type is unknown.

The blood already on the shelf is the blood used in an emergency. That’s why KBC is always encouraging people to donate blood.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Denise Fields, 859-519-3721; 859-333-2022.