BIG SPRING, Texas — As the annual Battle of the Badges blood drive was held at the Midland Police Headquarters.
Vitalant Donor Supervisor, Dianne Scott says how this friendly competition between Midland Police and Fire is all about saving lives at the end of the day.
"The turn out we are having a good turn out today and it's all about saving lives that's what we do the competition for. The trophy is beautiful and nice and a thing to show what is all about saving peoples lives," says Scott.
With the currently being a blood shortage, she says more people need to donate blood if they can.
"Thing is that people don't realize that a pint of blood has a shelf life of 42 days therefore we need blood on the shelf all the time so you need to continue to donate blood. If everybody that came and donated blood donated three times a year, we wouldn't have a blood shortage," she says.
One person who has continued to donate, every year is, Mark Lindsey.
"I've done it for 30 years," says Lindsey.
He is the Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Big Spring and tells me it was a no brainer for him to attend.
"Just the need, if I can help someone else then that's the best thing I can do. The easiest thing I can do to help someone,"
However this blood donation is more personal.
"We had four people in our church die of COVID and to honor them we began blood drives at the church," says Lindsey, "It's helped us heal a little bit that maybe we can help someone else that needs blood during this COVID time because those we lost In our church family they needed but did not receive it."
Lindsey being here today is only helping save lives which is the reason everyone is in the room.
"Working together as teamwork to save people's lives. Police department saving peoples lives, fire department saving peoples lives, people coming to donate saving peoples lives. That's what it's all about,"