Catoosa County Project Administrator Christal Thomas gives blood on behalf of Catoosa County in the Battle of the Badges blood drive for Blood Assurance.Final results
Check future editions of Catoosa Weekly to see which county brought out the most donors. Final results weren’t available as of press time.
More than 20 people rolled up their sleeves in support of Catoosa County during the Battle of the Badges blood drive this year. The annual drive pits Catoosa and Walker counties’ emergency personnel against each other to see who can get the most donations in their name.
“When people see the sheriffs involved, they are more prone to donate,” said Blood Assurance donor recruiter Nikita Edwards. “We usually have a great turnout.”
Both Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk and Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson sit on the advisory board for Blood Assurance, which serves hospitals in five states through its donations.
“One donation of blood helps upwards of three people,” said Sisk. “They break it out to help through platelets, red blood cells and plasma. This is not my first time to give blood. I’ve given over a gallon of blood in donations since I’ve worked within the county.”