The 5th annual Battle of the Badges blood drive for Greenwich emergency services personnel was held Saturday and the Greenwich Police Department took home the honors of having the most donors.
Working with the Greenwich-Metro New York Chapter of the American Red Cross, the goal was to collect 63 pints of blood, according to Greenwich Police Chief James Heavey.
"This is the hardest time of the year to recruit donors, with the holidays," Heavey said. Holding the blood drive the same weekend as the annual Greenwich Holiday Stroll in the downtown business district, helped draw donors who walked into the Greenwich Public Safety Complex to participate in the blood drive that pits Greenwich Police against the Greenwich Fire Department and Greenwich Emergency Medical Service (GEMS), Heavey said.
For the fourth consecutive year, Greenwich Police took top honors, donating 29 pints. GEMS came in second with 25 pints and Greenwich Fire with 21 pints was third.
Of GEMS donation of 25 pints during the Dec. 7 blood drive, Heavey said, "They're the smallest service in town and they keep increasing their donations every year. And they had personnel who helped staff the drive all day."
Heavey said that while 63 pints were collected, upwards of 90 people could receive benefits from the blood collected.
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