More Donors Needed in Big Blue Crush Competition
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 15, 2018) — More than 1,500 people have donated blood in Kentucky during the 31st annual Big Blue Crush, however Kentucky is still trailing Tennessee in the blood drive competition. As of Wednesday, Tennessee was ahead 1,820 to 1,551.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to donate through Friday, Nov. 16, and will receive a $10 Amazon card, a Crush T-shirt and a chance to win an Apple Watch and a pair of tickets to the UK-University of Louisville football game.
On-campus donation sites for the rest of this week are:
- Student Center (Room 330AB): 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday;
- Singletary Center for the Arts: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday;
- Johnson Center: 1-7 p.m. Thursday;
- Chandler Hospital (Bloodmobile at employee Drop Off on Rose Street): 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
“Tennessee is definitely keeping up the pressure. We’re depending on the Big Blue Nation to step up and show up to save lives the rest of this week,” said Martha Osborne, vice president of marketing for Kentucky Blood Center (KBC).
To assure a sufficient blood supply for the holidays, 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, which has won the past eight years, leads the rivalry 17 to 12 with one tie.
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 I.D. and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at kybloodcenter.org.
Walk-ins are welcome. To schedule a donation, visit www.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.