LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Winter weather sweeping through Kentucky this weekend has forced the Kentucky Blood Center to reduce operations Monday, impacting the start of the 18th annual Big Blue Slam blood drive competition.
Only KBC's Beaumont and Andover donor centers in Lexington will be open Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All other KBC donor centers will remain closed, and all mobile blood drive locations scheduled for Monday have been cancelled, including at the University of Kentucky.
The Big Blue Slam, an annual blood collection competition between KBC and LifeSouth Community Blood Center, will still begin Monday despite the reduced operations.
KBC hopes to resume full operations Tuesday. All eight KBC donor centers will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and mobile blood drives at the University of Kentucky (Gatton Student Center and William T. Young Library), the Kentucky Farm Bureau in Springfield and the Aspire Center in Monticello are still scheduled for Tuesday.
The competition runs through Friday, Jan. 30. Donors are encouraged to give blood this week when conditions are safe to help make up for donations lost due to the weather. Donors can check the latest collection hours and opportunities at this link, or schedule an appointment at the Kentucky Blood Center's website, or by calling 800.775.2522.
The Big Blue Slam was created with weather events like this weekend in mind. The winter season can hinder blood collections due to weather-related cancellations and illnesses. The spirit of competition motivates rival fan bases to fill the shelves with a healthy supply of blood.
Kentucky leads the all-time series 11-6, including victories in four straight competitions.
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, show a photo ID and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at the Kentucky Blood Center's website.
