Police Chief Adam Story and Hastings Fire and Rescue Chief Brad Starling, (City of Hastings, Courtesy)
HASTINGS — Hastings’ first responders are once again turning the need for blood donations into a friendly competition.
Hastings Fire and Rescue and Hastings Police Department will be competing in the sixth-annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive on Thursday, June 6.
The 2023 Hastings Competition was won by Hastings Fire and Rescue, 55 to 40 units.
“We look forward to this annual competition between agencies and cities because it’s a chance for the community to show their support for their first responders, as well as provide life-saving blood for those in need!” said Brad Starling, Hastings Fire and Rescue Chief.
The competition to secure blood donations for the American Red Cross is scheduled for noon to 6 p.m., Thursday, June 6 at the Hastings City Auditorium, 400 N. Hastings Ave. Donors can sign up by using the Red Cross blood donor app or visiting www.redcrossblood.org, search the zip code 68901 for the Battle of the Badges event.
Once a participant has given blood, they’ll be able to choose whether to support Team Fire or Team Police. Donations will be tallied at the end of the day to determine a winner.
“I want to thank everyone that supports the Battle of the Badges event,” Police Chief Adam Story said. “The donations are extremely important and save many lives! I love the comradery and teamwork between Hastings Fire and Rescue and the Hastings Police Department.”
Once the Hastings donations are counted, they’ll be compared to Battle of the Badges competitions across the Tri-Cities to announce an overall winner.
