The friendly competition between New York’s first responders aims to generate awareness about the need for blood during the critical summer months
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) are partnering with New York Blood Center (NYBC) for the second annual Bravest vs. The Finest” Blood Donation Competition, where the two departments will be competing to see which can collect the most blood donations. A press conference promoting the 2026 partnership was held at the FDNY Headquarters on Friday, June 12th at 10 :00 AM with leadership present from all three organizations.
“New York’s first responders know better than anyone about the importance of blood donations during medical emergencies and times of crisis,” said Jeannie Mascolino, Vice President, Blood Operations at New York Blood Center. “The FDNY and NYPD represent the greatest public servants New York has to offer, and we’re grateful for their continued partnership in this annual campaign to help rebuild the local blood supply during the critical summer months.”
The competition is running from Monday, June 1st to Tuesday, June 30th at all NYBC donor centers and community blood drives. Blood donors who are interested in supporting can use the code 4FDNY or 4NYPD during the donation process or register to donate at nybc.org/bravestvsfinest to help their respective teams. The team with the overall strongest performance, based on total donations, percentage participation, and growth over last year, will receive an award from NYBC. All presenting donors will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 e-gift card.
The partnership aims to generate awareness of the need for blood during the critical summer period. NYBC declared a blood emergency after blood donations hit a concerning low following Memorial Day. This signals the beginning of the summer “trauma season,” a period when hospitals see a rise in serious injuries, including car crashes and other emergencies requiring large volumes of blood. All blood types are desperately needed, but Types A-, B-, and O+/O- are dangerously low.
“Giving blood is a selfless act that saves lives every day,” said FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore. “We are proud to partner with New York Blood Center and the NYPD for the second annual ‘The Bravest vs. The Finest’ blood donation competition. This may be a friendly competition between two great agencies, but the mission is serious: helping save lives and supporting New Yorkers during a time of year when the need for blood is especially urgent. I encourage all FDNY members and supporters to roll up their sleeves, donate, and help Team FDNY bring this award home for the second time.”
“There is nothing New Yorkers love more than a good rivalry. That is why we are excited to bring our competitive spirit to the second annual ‘The Bravest vs. The Finest’ blood donation competition,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “First responders know better than anyone that these contributions can be the difference between life and death. Thank you to all of the public servants participating in this effort, and I encourage the members of the NYPD to roll up their sleeves to help save lives.”
The beginning of “trauma season” also serves as the kickoff to NYBC’s broader “Be the Reason Summer Feels Brighter” initiative, a seasonal effort focused on maintaining a stable blood supply throughout the challenging summer months. Donors can visit nybc.org/reason to view upcoming summer donation opportunities, learn about additional summer donor promotions, and find convenient locations to donate.
