KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For 36 years, MEDIC Regional Blood Center and the Kentucky Blood Center competed to see which can collect the most blood donations.
Starting Monday, Nov. 18 and lasting through Nov. 22, Tennesseans will be able to visit any blood drive on the University of Tennessee campus, or at any location throughout Knoxville, to donate blood for the competition. Find a list of locations below.
Donations will also be accepted at any MEDIC Blood Regional Blood Center.
The blood drive used to coincide with the Tennessee vs. Kentucky football game, but a change in the SEC schedule put the event on a different weekend.
Knoxville won last year's Orange and Blue Week blood drive, and MEDIC hopes to get more donations this year.
“This week is a long-standing tradition in Knoxville,” Kristy Altman, MEDIC Director of Marketing and Donor Recruitment, said in a press release. “We were thrilled to win last year and we don’t want to send the trophy back to Kentucky.”
Donors will also leave blood drives with free gifts, too. Everyone who donates blood during Orange and Blue Week will receive coupons to Salsarita's, Texas Roadhouse and Papa John's.
They will also get a $10 e-card for retailers such as Amazon or Walmart. Donors will also receive a football-themed shirt and a ticket to Fantasy of Trees, a Christmas event presented by East Tennessee Children's Hospital.
Potential donors must meet eligibility requirements before they can give blood. Traveling outside of the U.S. can affect whether a person qualifies to donate blood, as well as any medications they may be on. There is an eligibility guide potential donors can use on MEDIC's website.
The blood center serves 22 counties throughout East Tennessee and Kentucky. It was founded in 1958 to centralize blood collection, testing and distribution throughout East Tennessee.
MEDIC Donor Centers:
- Downtown Knoxville – 1601 Ailor Avenue – 8 AM to 6:30 PM
- Farragut – 11000 Kingston Pike – Tues and Thurs 7:30 PM – 7 PM
- Wed & Fri 6:30 PM – 6 PM
- Athens - 213 E. Washington Ave. Suite 104 – Mon-Fri 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Crossville - 79 South Main Street – Mon-Friday 8:30 AM – 5 PM
University of Tennessee Campus – Indoor Setups:
- Student Center, Room 262 –Monday through Thursday – 11 AM to 7 PM
- Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building, Room 202C1 – Wednesday through Friday – 11 AM to 7 PM
- Massey Hall – Monday only – 12 PM to 8 PM
- Institute of Agriculture – Tuesday only – 8 AM to 4 PM
- UT College of Law – Tuesday only – 10 AM to 6 PM
- South Carrick Hall – Wednesday only – 12 PM to 8 PM
- Hess Hall – Friday only – 12 PM to 8 PM
University of Tennessee Campus Mobile Drives:
- Hodges Library – Monday Only – 10 AM to 6 PM
- Science and Engineering – Wednesday only – 10 AM to 6 PM
Monday:
- Walmart - West A. J. Highway – 11 AM to 6 PM
- Food City – Asheville Highway – 11 AM to 6 PM
- Books-A-Million – Oak Ridge – 10 AM to 6 PM
Tuesday:
- Walmart – Jefferson City – 12 PM to 7 PM
- Food City – Tazewell – 11 AM to 6 PM
Wednesday:
- Walmart – Sevierville – 11 AM to 7 PM
Thursday:
- Walmart – Maryville – 12 PM to 7 PM
- Walmart – Morristown – 11 AM to 6 PM
- Pellissippi State Community College – Hardin Valley Campus – 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Friday:
- Papa John’s – Halls Community – 12 PM to 7 PM
- Walgreen’s – Oneida – 12 PM to 6 PM
- Walmart – Newport – 11 AM to 6 PM