Tug of war at YMCA attracts donors for American Red Cross
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A group of hulking public safety professionals left sweat and tears on Union Street Friday morning, but the blood was saved for something special. Howard County’s police officers, firefighters, deputies, and dispatchers engaged in a Battle of the Badges to benefit the American Red Cross on March 21, and everybody won.
The friendly competition attracted a crowd, along with a robust array of blood donors, ensuring that lives were saved as the agencies faced off in a tug-of-war tournament. The event was held at the Kokomo Family YMCA, and as the competitors arrived, they made sure to visit with and thank the many donors who lined up to give.
The blood drive did better than expected, according to Dave Trine, the City of Kokomo’s operations coordinator.
“The Red Cross is going to end up with about 50 units of blood,” said Trine. “I was just told that is a very good number; much more than a typical blood drive.”
Trine briefly shared a story about how blood donations help. One of the donors told him that the Red Cross is able to track where blood donations go. The last time the donor and his wife donated, the blood went to Cincinnati, where several children benefitted from the gift.
“It's truly a life saving measure,” said Trine. “This tug of war is all for fun, but we're also saving a number of lives!”
As the teams were introduced, a loose set of rules was established. The teams of five tuggers had a goal to pull their opponents into the crosswalk between the YMCA and the parking garage along Union Street. Once the red ribbon representing the middle of the rope passed the edge of the crosswalk, the contest ended.
The short rope and shorter boundaries of the crosswalk made for very quick contests. The Kokomo Police Department entered one team of tuggers, while the Kokomo Fire Department submitted two teams. The Howard County Sheriff’s Office also had two teams, while the Howard County Dispatchers entered a team for the competition.
The teams competed in a round robin tournament, with the top two finishers facing off for ultimate tug-of-war supremacy. In the end, the Kokomo Police Department was victorious with a team of tuggers that looked more like the offensive line for an NFL team.
After the officers were presented with the Battle of the Badges trophy, all of the participants gathered for photos.
For additional photos and videos of the Battle of the Badges blood drive, visit the Lantern’s Facebook page or group.