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Sheriff Duvendack and Chief Grootens receive tasty pies from Chief Kluge after it was
announced the fire service had won the 2011 Badges for Life competition.
September 13, 2011
All for a good cause
Fire service receives top honors for Central Illinois Community Blood Center’s Badges for Life competition
Central Illinois Community Blood Center’s fourth annual Badges for Life competition wraps up with the announcement of the Jacksonville fire service as winner of the 2011 competition.
The competition, which kicked off just before Memorial Day, encourages local fire service and law enforcement officials to compete for the highest number of blood donations compared to their number of employees.
With donations equaling 276.92 percent of their employees, the fire service (Jacksonville Fire Department) once again receives top honors for the Badges for Life competition. Law enforcement (Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Police Department) came in with 87.21 percent participation. Overall, there were 147 blood donations and eight new blood donors during the competition.
Nationally, about 40 percent of U.S. residents are eligible to donate, but fewer than 10 percent actually give blood. The additional donations came at an important time, as the Blood Center sees its donation rate decline during the summer months. Central Illinois Community Blood Center provides blood and blood products to 12 central Illinois hospitals, including Passavant Area Hospital.
All in good fun, and to help encourage donations, at the end of last year’s challenge Chief Kluge said that should he win a fourth year in a row, he would like to pie both Chief Grootens and Sheriff Duvendack in the face. Chief Grootens and Sheriff Duvendack agreed, and said that should they win the 2011 challenge, both would pie Chief Kluge.
Chief Kluge, who was able to pie both Chief Grootens and Sheriff Duvendack after taking the win for the fourth year in a row said, “I was happy to participate again this year for such a worthy cause – win or lose.”
During the 2010 competition, the fire service came out ahead with 220 percent, followed by the Jacksonville Police Department with 100 percent and Morgan County Sheriff’s Office with 47.50 percent.
“Since 1973, Passavant Area Hospital has received blood collected by the Central Illinois Community Blood Center, so I know how important the blood drives are for our hospital,” said Chester Wynn, President and CEO at Passavant Area Hospital. “I want to thank the Jacksonville Fire Department, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Police Department for their dedication to this event, even at the possibility of a pie in the face.”
“Thank you to everyone who donated during the 2011 Badges for Life competition,” said Mindy Melton, donor relations consultant at Central Illinois Community Blood Center. “We especially would like to thank the fire service and law enforcement for their dedicated support of this competition. As emergency responders, they witness and understand the importance of having blood available for when it is needed. We cannot thank them enough for all that they do.”
For more information, call CICBC at (866) GIVE-BLD (866-448-3253) or visit www.cicbc.org. To schedule an appointment to donate, or to find an area blood drive, visit www.bloodcenterIMPACT.org. Walks-ins are always welcome.
Central Illinois Community Blood Center, a not-for-profit organization, is the provider of life-saving blood for 12 hospitals throughout central Illinois, including Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville. A division of Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC), Central Illinois Community Blood Center and MVRBC collect 165,000 units of blood annually and serve a total of 75 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
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