When the call for blood donations went out, Oak Park Public Safety Officer Kevin Edmonds was one of the first in line. Edmonds, 40, had more than a professional interest in participating in the American Red Cross' Battle of the Badges blood drive.
"My mom has liver cancer," he said last week. "She's going through chemo. Every couple of weeks she's in need of a blood transfusion. I see the need and the delays for her having to wait."
Edmonds said he and his fellow officers are giving blood to help people like his mom -- and their fellow officers on the force.
"We realize if something goes down or an officer is injured in the line of duty, we want to make sure blood is available for him or her," said Edmonds, his department's community service coordinator.
"We're hoping by us setting an example, other citizens will get involved as well."
The Red Cross' Battle of the Badges campaign is challenging police, fire and public safety officers from Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties in a summer competition to see who can give the most blood. The winner will be announced at the end of August.
"It is a campaign many of our Red Crosses do across the country," said Marie Mangus, spokeswoman for American Red Cross Southeastern Michigan Blood Services. "This is our first year."
While blood supplies normally drop in summer because of vacations and other factors, this year's shortage has been especially tough, Mangus said.
"We attribute this to the loss of jobs in our area. Businesses we used to go to that had 300-400 people now have much fewer employees," she said. "About 60% of our donations come from various business blood drives."
The Red Cross turned to public safety officers to help make up the shortfall and to inspire others to donate.
"We decided to do it because our fire and policemen are strong supporters," she said. "They do come to the rescue for us when we need blood."
The officers inspired other city officials to consider donating, including Victor Cardenas, assistant to Oak Park City Manager James Hock."This is a good way to get more community members involved," he said.
Police, fire and public safety officers from Ferndale, Oak Park, Royal Oak Township, Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods and Berkley came to the Gerry Kulick Community Center in Ferndale on July 21 and 22 to donate blood and for some good-natured competition.
Paper bags with tags representing each participating force were set up on a table near the sign-in area of a multipurpose room.
Officers, their families, friends and others giving blood dropped plastic discs in one of the bags to show which force they supported the most. Blue chips were for police, red for firefighters.
The number of discs will help determine who wins the competition.
The winning department will walk away with bragging rights and a trophy, Red Cross officials said.
Ferndale Interim Fire Chief Roger Schmidt, 54, and Ferndale Police Chief Michael Kitchen, 51, came to the Kulick Center to donate blood.
"We've got to beat the cops," said a smiling Schmidt.
The chiefs reclined on cots placed end-to-end, each clutching a bar-shaped gripper as nurses swabbed a spot on their arms with iodine.
Neither flinched as the nurses slid needles into their veins.
Schmidt said he didn't wonder who would get the blood he donated.
"They are certainly privileged," he said, laughing.
Ferndale firefighters have their own internal competition, Schmidt said.
"The shift that gives the least blood has to buy pizza and pop for the other shift," he said.
Kitchen said he thought it was important to participate.
"I'm glad to be able to do it," he said.
For more information about participating in this or future blood drives, contact the American Red Cross at 800-448-3543 anytime.
