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Big Blue Crush 2015 Final Results Nov. 20, 2015

Kentucky Crushes Vols Sixth Year in a Row

Big Blue Crush donor.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky fans crushed the Tennessee Vols 2,604 to 1,988 in the 28th annual Big Blue Crush, but the real winners are Kentucky patients who depend on blood transfusions.

“Thanks to everyone who took the time to bleed blue this week,” said Martha Osborne, Executive Director of Marketing and Recruitment for Kentucky Blood Center (KBC). “We do this competition every year to assure we have enough blood for the holidays, but, of course, it’s always fun to win. And the need for blood is ongoing, so we encourage those who weren’t able to give this week to roll up their sleeves soon.”

This yearly competition between Kentucky Blood Center and Medic Regional Blood Center in Knoxville pits fans of the Cats and the Tennessee Volunteers to see who can donate the most blood the week before Thanksgiving. Kentucky now leads the competition 15 to 12 with one tie and has won the competition six years in a row.

About Kentucky Blood Center

KBC, founded in 1968, is the largest independent, full-service, non-profit blood center in Kentucky. Licensed by the FDA, KBC’s sole purpose is to collect, process and distribute blood for patients in Kentucky hospitals.

Every two seconds someone needs blood. It could be a premature infant struggling for life, a firefighter suffering from burns, a neighbor undergoing chemotherapy treatment for leukemia, a truck driver injured in an auto accident or a young student with a congenital blood disorder. It’s for those patients and more that KBC exists.

All blood that is donated with KBC is returned to the Beaumont Donor Center where it is processed, prepared and stored for shipment to Kentucky hospitals.

Blood needs are ongoing. Red cells last only 42 days and must be continually replenished to adequately support Kentucky hospitals. Statistics show that one in seven hospital patients will require blood transfusions during their stay. However, only 37 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood and less than 10 percent does. All blood types are needed, and there is a particular need for type O negative blood since it is the “universal donor” and needed in emergencies when the patient’s blood type is unknown.

The blood already on the shelf is the blood used in an emergency. That’s why KBC is always encouraging people to donate blood.