Kentucky Retains Title, Claims 10th Victory in Last 11 Years
LEXINGTON, Ky. – November 20, 2020 -- Tennessee fans made up ground with 489 donations on the final day of the competition, but Kentucky closed out the annual Big Blue Crush battle with 432 donations and the big win. That brings the final score to 2,174 for the Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) and 2,060 for Medic Regional Blood Center in Knoxville.
“Despite all of the challenges we’ve faced this year, the Big Blue Nation of blood donors should be proud of this year’s Crush performance,” said Mandy Brajuha, Vice President of External Relations at KBC. “It feels great to crush the Vols on and off the field, but the real winners here are the Kentucky patients who will need the donated blood in the weeks ahead.
“With donations down about 40% this fall, the blood collected during Big Blue Crush goes a long way to making sure blood is on the shelves to save Kentucky lives this holiday season,”Brajuha concluded.
Big Blue Crush ensures an adequate blood supply for the Thanksgiving holiday and into December. Kentucky now leads the rivalry 19 to 13 with one tie. Kentucky has claimed victory in 10 of the last 11 annual events. Over the past 33 years, more than 172,000 blood donations have been collected by the two blood centers to help local patients in each state.
It’s not too late for donors to impact the holiday blood supply. To find a donation location or schedule an appointment, visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800.775.2522.
COVID-19 Information: Blood donation is considered essential and is safe. Masks, distancing, increased sanitization and other measures ensure donation is safe for donors and staff.