While first responders already give so much to the communities they serve, the Battle of the Badges, an annual competition between local departments to see who can donate the most blood, is a great way for them to have some fun while donating.

On Monday afternoon, the Superior Fire Department, Superior Police Department, Duluth Fire Department, Duluth Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department began their battle for the annual Battle of the Badges trophy.

“We never know when we’re going to need the blood. There’s always a need for it in this country. And it may not be you, the individual that needs that blood donation, but it may be someone that you love, your kids, your mom, your dad. And it’s an important thing to do. And it’s a really easy thing to do,” said Superior Fire Chief Camron Vollbrecht.

The need for blood donations is never ending, and a donation can leave an everlasting impact on those it goes to help save.  

“It does help save lives. People, whether they have a medical emergency or some kind of traumatic incident, can need blood transfusions, blood donations. It’s really easy. It’s a simple process. It just takes a little bit of your time. And once you’ve done it once, you’re in the system, it actually is a lot quicker the second or third time you do it,” said Vollbrecht.

And despite the advancement in medicine, blood donation is just as important now as ever, without much effort from the donor.

“It is absolutely the difference between life and death. It’s an old technology. It’s been around for a long time, but it’s still just as important as any of our advanced medical procedures as having blood and having the ability to get a donation of blood or receive a blood transfusion is vital to survival in medical or traumatic incidents,” said Vollbrecht.

For those, like longtime donor Cindy Spongberg, the constant need for blood is why she keeps donating.

“I always try to give when I can because there’s always a need for blood. And if this is something I can do to help people, I always want to do that,” said Spongberg. “There’s always a need for blood. And what did they tell me? One donation can help seven people. So, one thing I like with the red cross is they let you know where your blood goes. So, you always, you know, you can follow the journey of your blood and where the donation ends up. I like that. So, and it always stays local first.”

And even once the competition crowns its champion, each life saved with the blood donated from the Battle of the Badges is another win in the books.

Click here to view Duluth Fire Deputy Chief Rob Morehouse’s full live interview on Battle of the Badges –

The Battle of the Badges continues through Tuesday, December 3rd, and will be held at the First United Methodist Church (Coppertop Church) from 12PM to 6PM.

Click here to learn more on blood donation through the American Red Cross.