Battle of the Badges Blood Drive brings out increase in first-time donors

KILLEEN, Texas (Aug. 2, 2024) - The sixth annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive brought out 121 residents and 57 first-time donors on Aug. 1.

The event was held at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center, as the City partnered with Carter BloodCare.

"Having nearly half of the donors be first-time donors to Carter BloodCare is a huge success," Jessica Amaro, Carter BloodCare, consultant said. "This places them in our database for future needs to help our community."

Carter BloodCare was able to get 106 units of blood from the 121 donors. That amount can save up to 318 lives.

Each year, the Killeen Police and Fire Departments challenge each other to see who can get more citizens to come donate blood and vote for their favorite department.

For the second year in a row, the Police Department edged out the Fire Department by 73-53 votes. Traditionally, the department with the least number of votes must wash the company vehicles of the department who received the most votes. Details for the car wash will be announced at a later date.

Carter BloodCare says Killeen's Battle of the Badges Blood Drive is the largest one-day event like this in Central Texas. All blood remains local in Bell County, including the Veterans Administration Clinic.

The Police Department has now won in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024, while the Fire Department received the most votes from citizens in 2021 and 2022. There are no 'losers' in this life-saving battle, as the goal is reviving lives and injecting hope into the Central Texas community.

The City of Killeen and Carter BloodCare appreciate the community support and courage to help save lives, and welcome citizens to future blood drives.