RAPID CITY, SD — This week, Vitalant (A national blood donation and testing organization) in collaboration with the Rapid City Fire and Police Departments began their yearly blood drive with an initial Fire Department victory during the kickoff obstacle course. Now, it’s the public’s turn to reach out, donate, and bring victory to their chosen team, all while helping to save lives one donation at a time.
“There is always a constant need for blood, while the majority of the population will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime, and some of those, like we talked about on a regular basis for the rest of their life, about 3% of the population actually donates blood,” Said Vitalant representative Tori Robbins, “In the summer, we see a reduction in blood donations. People are traveling, they’re on vacation, they’re out and about. They forget about donating blood. And then also our colleges and high schools are in session, and they collect a lot of blood when they’re throughout the school year. So we see that decrease in donations, but unfortunately, we also see an increase in the need”. Robbins says that the drive is largely accepting of anyone who wishes to donate, but says the focus is always on O+ and O- donors (the most and least common blood types respectively) as near-universal and universal donors types.
Donors will receive a free T-Shirt, refreshments, and the chance to vote for Law or Fire. The group with the most donations by the end of the Drive on Friday will win bragging rights for the rest of the year, and at a 10-9 competition, Fire leading. Public Relations Officer Tessa Jaeger said “When we get to be with the community in a positive manner and get to converse with the police department in a fun, friendly way like this, it’s always so fun,” Jaeger then went on to say “You know, at the end of the day, it’s all about just getting enough blood, especially during those summer months when the supply goes down. And like I said, we’re up by one and the police department’s looking to grab that wind to tie it up for year 20”.
“If you have the ability to donate blood, and you have the time to do so, come on down to Uptown Rapid City. Make sure that you sign in for either police or fire, and just help us regenerate the local blood supply,” Said RCPD Representative Brendyn Medina, echoing Jaeger’s sentiment, “We’re always going to have that sibling rivalry, but at the end of the day, we have the same mission, and that is public safety here in Rapid City”.
Walk-ins and signups are welcome for the event, and for those wishing to donate, Robbins suggests going to Vitalant.org and checking availability nearest to them or call 877-2550.
UPDATE: Day one results for the competition sees police leading 61-59, with 109 units collected in total, just slightly behind the drive’s goal.
