NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Titans and their official healthcare provider, Saint Thomas Health l Ascension joined the Davidson County Metro Police, Sheriff and Fire Departments for the annual Music City Battle of the Badges blood drive at Nissan Stadium.

"We are here for all of Nashville and all of middle Tennessee," said Chief Steve Anderson, Davidson County Metro Police Department.  "The blood drive is so very important in saving lives.  Whether it's illness, accidents or automobile crashes – we need blood.  We gather together every year - the police department, the fire department and the sheriff's department here at Nissan Stadium.  We are so thankful that the Titans are such a great corporate partner and they step forward to host us and make us feel so welcome."

"Around 80% from donation drives goes to emergency rooms - it's on the shelf and we need that," said Amanda Maples, Chest Pain Clinical Coordinator for Saint Thomas Health l Ascension.  "We have our blood center inside the hospitals, so when we have a patient that comes in critical and in the need of blood, which happens a lot, especially with as many heart transplants and heart surgeries that we do, it's important for us to have that access quickly and these events help us do that."

"For me, it goes back when my father had open heart surgery in 1975," said John Ford, Chief Deputy, Davidson County Sheriff's Office.  "I remember giving blood then to help make sure he had blood when he had the surgery.  I think it helps perpetuate within our agency, not just the competition, it's how many people we help every year with this blood donation.  It's the largest one they have in middle Tennessee."

The blood drive is middle Tennessee's largest blood drive and comes at an important time for the Red Cross.  Blood and platelet donations often decline during the summer months when busy summer schedules and vacation plans can cause some donors to be less available to give.  The need for blood remains constant all summer long. Blood is vital for the operation of all our organs and that's why donating blood is exceptionally important.

"All of you know how important the give of life can be to so many of those who are in need of blood and how grateful all of us are for those who donate and who lead in the effort to have donations made," said Titans President & CEO Steve Underwood. 

Titans mascot T-Rac broke out his best funky moves to win the afternoon's mascot dance competition defeating Nashville Sounds Booster the Rooster, SheRuff from the Sheriff's office, Twiga from the Nashville Zoo, Curby from Nashville Public Works along with several other local mascots.

"The Titans have been great supporters for the city of Nashville for a long time," said Director Chief Rick White, Nashville Fire Department. "They are good corporate citizens and we appreciate that.  It's not something they have to do, it's something they want to do.  You can't put a salary cap on dedication or motivation."

Donors were also able to enter the national bone marrow registry through the partnership of Delete Blood Cancer DKMS. Delete Blood Cancer DKMS started with one family's search for a bone marrow donor and is today part of the world's largest bone marrow donor center. The organization has helped registers potential donors and facilitates transplants around the world. Delete Blood Cancer DKMS provided the opportunity for people to register as potential donors at the event by completing a registration form and a cheek swab.

The Davidson County Sheriff's Office was the big winner of the competition but all departments exceeded their results from last year making hospital patients the true winners.

Each day, our law and fire enforcements help save lives on the job and they joined together to help potentially save another 806 more lives from the 336 collected pints of blood collected during the event which represents only a small fraction of the important work that they do throughout the year. 

About Saint Thomas Health

In Tennessee, Ascension's Saint Thomas Health operates nine hospitals in addition to a comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities that cover a 68-county area and employ more than 8,000 associates.  Across the state, Saint Thomas Health provided more than $78 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty in fiscal year 2016.  Serving Tennessee for 15 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable.  Ascension is the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world's largest Catholic health system, operating 2,500 sites of care – including 141 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities – in 24 states and the District of Columbia.   Visit www.sthealth.com

About DKMSDKMS is part of the world's largest network of donor centers. Our mission is to build the number of suitable bone marrow and stem cell donors, because we believe that no life should be lost due to an inability to find a donor match. We have registered more than 6 million potential donors and facilitated more than 55,000 transplants around the world. But we're not stopping there. We lead the fight against blood cancer by working with families, communities and organizations to recruit donors and provide more patients with second chances at life. For more information or to register as a bone marrow donor, please visit DeleteBloodCancer.org.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.