There’s nothing like a little friendly competition to encourage participation in an event. That was the mindset of Officer Natalie Littlehale of the Manheim Township Police Department when she contacted neighboring police departments about getting involved in the “We Bleed Blue” blood donation challenge.
The We Bleed Blue challenge took place between the Manheim Township, East Hempfield, East Lampeter and Lancaster City police departments. Each department encouraged community members to donate blood for their department’s team at the LG Health Blood Donor Center. Throughout the competition, the blood donor center kept track of which department received the most blood donations, and on March 11, Manheim Township Police Department was announced as the winner. In total, 88 pints were collected.
Each police department used different tactics to encourage people to donate blood, which included hosting LG Health blood drives at their stations and in their townships, and using social media to promote the competition.
This event is part of a larger initiative by the Manheim Township Police Department to host a charitable event each month in 2019 to memorialize those who died in the line of duty in 2018.
If you are interested in donating blood, the LG Health Blood Donor Center, located at the Suburban Pavilion, is open 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mondays; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.