It’s time for battle.
The 2026 Battle of the Badges Blood Drive gets underway on Thursday at its longtime home of 12th Avenue Baptist Church. The drive sees local first responders on hand throughout the day assisting with appointments, providing hot dogs, candy and more as they work to help bring in needed blood donations and vie for the votes of the public as the community’s favorite agency.
The agencies taking part include the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Emporia Police Department, Lyon County Emergency Communications and, reigning battle winners, The Emporia Fire Department. All of the agencies were represented on KVOE’s Morning Show Tuesday and laid out their strategies for taking home the traveling trophy this year.
LCECC Director Roxanne Van Gundy says a personable approach will be their key to victory.
For law enforcement, EPD Sgt. Dominick Vortherms says they will be taking a sweet approach to the competition.
For the Emporia Fire Department, they believe the key to victory is through the stomach, according to Emporia Fire Marshall Stephen Beemer.
Appointments are full for Thursday’s drive, which runs from noon to 6 pm, however, several appointments are still open for Friday’s drive, which runs from 8 am to 2 pm. Walk-ins will be welcome on Friday; however, those with appointments will be given priority.
The blood drive comes as the need for blood nationally has hit critical levels, with Red Cross administrators noting that the need often hits a high during the summer season due to various factors. If you would like to schedule an appointment for the Battle of the Badges, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or download the Red Cross donor app.
