Catoosa Sheriff’s Office wins Battle of the Badges 2019

The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office has won the 2019 Battle of the Badges Blood Drive for the second time in five attempts.

Blood Assurance announced Wednesday, June 19, that Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk’s office won this year’s battle against Sheriff Steve Wilson’s Walker County Sheriff’s Office.

The friendly, competitive blood drives set an all-time record high for both counties, with Catoosa collecting 89 units, followed by Walker’s collection of 88 units for a one-unit win. The total of 177 units collected will save an estimated 490 lives.

“The community comes out and the winners are the patients who are awaiting a transfusion,” said Blood Assurance President J.B. Gaskins.

Sheriffs Sisk and Wilson are long-time members of the Blood Assurance North Georgia Advisory Board, which sponsors the Battle of the Badges blood drives.

Each year during the summer months, when donations are low due to vacations, holiday traveling and no school blood drives, the two Sheriffs’ Offices hold friendly, competitive blood drives to help Blood Assurance maintain an adequate supply of blood to service the hospitals in the organization’s service area.

“The Sheriff’s Office gladly receives this recognition on behalf of all the donors that supported this drive,” said Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk.

Members of Sisk’s team and representatives from Blood Assurance joined together Wednesday afternoon, June 19 for the plaque presentation ceremony and to thank each other for a valuable drive all parties were able to pull off.

The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office was presented with its champion’s plaque by Blood Assurance for its big win in the 2019 Battle of the Badges Blood Drive against the Walker County Sheriff’s Office. From left: Deputy Deric North, Detective John Cunningham, Blood Assurance Community & Public Relations Representative Doris White, Capt. Chris Lyons, Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk, Blood Assurance North Georgia Advisory Board Chair Chip Catlett, Lt. Jake Hollis, Capt. Jeremy Keener, Blood Assurance Account Manager Amanda Trammell, Records Official Rebecca Holcomb, Detention Officer Michael Pettyjohn, and Records Official Shelby Moore.