Orange and Blue Blood Drive Competition is underway

The UT/Kentucky football game may be over, but the annual Orange and Blue Blood Drive Competition is this week (11/14-11/18). MEDIC is competing against the Kentucky Blood Center to see which organization can collect the highest number of blood products in five days. This is the 35^th year for the competition and MEDIC has won 14, with Kentucky winning 19 in the series. MEDIC won in 2021.

“Not only is the competition fun for both blood centers, but it is imperative for our inventory as we head into the holiday season,” said director of communications and public relations Kristy Altman. “We see a significant decrease in donations from Thanksgiving through the New Year and what we collect during the Orange and Blue competition is very important in keeping us above critical levels for inventory.”

This rivalry began in 1988 and has continued year after year during the week before Thanksgiving. For 2022, donors here in East Tennessee will receive a special edition t-shirt, a $10 e-gift card (valid email address required), Petro’s coupon, Salsarita’s coupon, Texas Roadhouse coupon, Dunkin coupon, Papa John’s coupon, Smoothie King coupon, and a ticket to the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Fantasy of Trees.

MEDIC will have 20 mobile drives that week including buses on campus at the University of Tennessee outside of Gate 21 at Neyland Stadium. MEDIC’s four donor centers will also be open all week.

Appointments are preferred to mitigate wait times. Donors can call 865-521-2682 or 865-524-3074 to schedule their appointment. Donors can also visit medicblood.org/donate or use the donor app to search for a drive closest to them and schedule their appointment.

Fixed donation centers

• Ailor Avenue – 1601 Ailor Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920
• Farragut/Kingston Pike – 11000 Kingston Pike, Ste. 4, Farragut, TN 37934
• Athens – 213 E. Washington Ave., Ste. 104, Athens, TN 37303
• Crossville – 96 Hayes St., Ste. 202, Crossville, TN 38555

Mobile Drives

Monday:

• Blount Memorial – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Books-A-Million/Oak Ridge – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Food City/AJ Hwy – 10 AM to 6 PM
• UT/Neyland Stadium/Gate 21 – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Hey Bear Café/Knoxville – 11 AM to 7 PM

Tuesday:

• UTRF Business Incubator – 8 AM to 4 PM
• Food City/Tazewell – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Kingston Gravel Pit Park – 10 AM to 6 PM
• UT/Neyland Stadium/Gate 21 – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Hammer’s/Halls – 11 AM to 7 PM

Wednesday:

• Tellico Village Wellness Center – 10 AM to 6 PM
• UT/Neyland Stadium/Gate 21 – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Walgreens/Oneida – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Walmart/East Morristown – 10 AM to 6 PM
• UT/Hess Hall – 12 PM to 7 PM

Thursday:

• Walmart/Maryville – 10 AM to 7 PM
• Big Lots/Jefferson City – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Walmart/Clinton – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Walmart/Sevierville – 10 AM to 6 PM
• UT Student Union – 11 AM to 6 PM

Friday:

• Pellissippi State Community College – 8:30 AM to 4 PM
• UT/College of Law – 9 AM to 5 PM
• UT/Hodges Library – 10 AM to 6 PM
• Walmart/Newport – 10 AM to 6 PM