4th annual Army-Navy Blood Drive Challenge at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. ()
Donating blood saves lives, but for Petty Officer Jameka Danielle Jackson of the Navy, the pints she was donating were for another reason.
“I feel even better (to be giving blood now), because the Army is going down,” Jackson said.
Jackson was one of the expected hundreds who showed up Tuesday at the 4th annual Army-Navy Blood Drive Challenge at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.
The event pits America’s oldest services against each other to see who can donate the most blood.
“We’re going into the holiday season and sometimes our donations dip a little bit … as a result, we try to raise people’s awareness about the fact we still need blood year-round,” Navy Lt. Cmdr. Melissa Austin, Medical Director of the Armed Services Blood Program, said.
The current tally of the event is 2-2 and the Army won last year’s blood drive. Sailors were quick to remind soldiers that they are on a 12-year winning streak on the football field.
“With the military, we always have that competitive edge. We’re always trying to get one up on each other,” said Navy Lt. Michael Collins, director of the Armed Services Blood Bank Center. “We’re going to use that to bring (people) out during the holiday season."
