Local law enforcement will get some good-natured bragging rights for the next 12 months.
And patients served by blood collected by the American Red Cross will be the real winners, organizers noted Thursday.
A two-day blood drive at Allen County Regional Hospital collected a total of 85 units of blood, six more units than the hospitals goal.
As part of the drive, donors were allowed to cast votes as part of a Battle of the Badges.
Because some of the donors went through a special process to double the amount of red blood cells given, they were given two votes each.
By the end of the drive, the law enforcement team of the Iola police and Allen County sheriffs departments received 51 votes. The Iola fire and Allen County EMS team received 50 votes.
As their reward, the law enforcement team will receive a trophy sometime soon, organizers said, to display until next years blood drive.
The drive featured several first-time donors, and others who hadnt donated for several years.
The next American Red Cross blood drive is scheduled for March 14-15.
