KILLEEN, Texas — The sixth annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive has come and gone, and the Killeen Police Department has once again come out on top.
The event, which was held on Aug. 1, saw 121 residents and 57 first-time donors give blood. The 121 donors provided Carter BloodCare, a Central Texas blood bank and partner for the event, 106 units of blood. That amount can save up to 318 lives, according to the City of Killeen.
“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.”
Killeen PD won the event the year prior and had a two-year winning streak in 2018 and 2019. This year, the police department beat the Killeen Fire Department's 53 votes by 20 for a total of 73 votes.
In 2021 and 2022, the fire department won the head-to-head. In this competition, however, there aren't any losers, as all of the blood donated will remain local in Bell County, according to the city.
The department with the least number of votes must wash the vehicles of the other company that received the most votes, according to the city. Details for Killeen FD's car was of Killeen PD's cars will be revealed at a later date.
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