By LANIE HENRY
The Riley County Police Department has won the 2023 Battle of the Badges Blood Drive, winning bragging rights over Riley County EMS and the Manhattan Fire Department.
This year marks the 20th annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive. Hosted by the American Red Cross, the drive is a friendly competition between first response agencies in Manhattan. Blood donors select which team they are donating in support of, and results are tallied when the drive ends.
This year’s drive was held at St. Thomas More Catholic Church on July 17 and 18. RCPD had 52 votes, RCENMS had 49 votes and MFD had 46 votes.
Kristi Ingalls, account manager for the American Red Cross, says the competitive aspect of the drive increases turnout.
“We have a lot more donors coming from each of the response teams because this is their battle and they want to win, and we also see a lot of spouses from each department coming in to support their loved ones,” Ingalls said.
Pat Geschler, front-desk volunteer, says the drive is a way for the community to show support to first responders.
“[The agencies] do a really good job at what they do, and I think the drive gives people a way to show that they do appreciate how these teams are helping the community,” Geschler said.
The drive collected 136 pints of blood, which will help up to 408 patients in need.