Dairy MAX and local dairy farmers recently joined the Amarillo, Texas community to honor first responders, participate in blood drives and enjoy delicious dairy foods. Boots and Badges is hosted by the Coffee Memorial Blood Center in partnership with Dairy MAX, Blue Bell and Plains Dairy. The event celebrates first responders and inspires a friendly competition between firefighters (boots) and police officers (badges). This year, the event collected 2,553 blood donations for Coffee Memorial Blood Center, potentially impacting more than 7,500 lives.
“Dairy MAX, Blue Bell and Plains Dairy have been generous sponsors for over a decade,” said Brad Duggan, executive director for Coffee Memorial Blood Center. “Each blood donor receives a gallon of milk and pint of ice cream to enjoy after their donation. We have heard from blood donors how much they enjoy the milk and ice cream. We are very thankful for the generosity of our blood donors and event sponsors. Boots and Badges helps save thousands of lives each year, and it is great for our community to see how the dairy industry supports blood donations in their community.”
Boots and Badges is designed to be a day filled with community spirit, fun activities and the opportunity to make a difference. West Texas residents interacted with police officers and firefighters, learned about their roles in the community and toured emergency response vehicles. Cheese provided by Dairy MAX, in honor of National Dairy Month, topped cheeseburgers at the hamburger and hot dog cookout. Local dairy farmers, John Boer, Gerret Boer and Linda De Vuyst, assisted with the cookout, assembling cheeseburgers and passing out food to families, giving community members a chance to interact with local farmers.
Linda De Vuyst participated in this year’s event with her grandchildren, celebrating their family’s personal connection to both the dairy aspect of the event and the Boots and Badges side. De Vuyst and her daughter are involved in their family dairy in Pampa, Texas, while her son-in-law serves as a lieutenant in the Amarillo Police Department.
“As a dairy farm family and a police family, our favorite part of Boots and Badges was touring all the emergency vehicles, fire trucks and SWAT vehicles,” said Linda De Vuyst, Texas dairy farmer. “My grandsons were thrilled to get an up-close look at what their dad does at work each day. Dairy MAX’s Passion for Pints blood drives and the Boots and Badges event were exceptionally well-run. It was a unique and exciting experience for the whole family, and truly heartwarming to see the community come together for such a great cause.”
The Boots and Badges blood drive was one of many Passion for Pints blood drives this year. This June marked the 12th year of Passion for Pints, resulting in 12,290 units being donated, potentially impacting more than 36,860 lives. Passion for Pints blood drives took place across Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico. By combining blood donation with the celebration of dairy, Dairy MAX aims to raise awareness about the importance of donating blood and the nutritional benefits of dairy products. Blood donors at various locations received a variety of giveaway items including a commemorative t-shirt, a squeeze cow, and an educational Dairy MAX resource featuring recipes, dairy-farmer stories and sustainability facts. Donors also enjoyed nourishing dairy foods and beverages for post-blood donation recovery.
“Dairy farmers are deeply committed to giving back to their local communities,” said John Cass, Dairy MAX director of industry image and relations. “Events such as Boots and Badges and other Passion for Pints blood drives showcase the dedication dairy farmers have for helping meet needs within their communities. These initiatives allow Dairy MAX and our farmers to support communities while also promoting the nutritional benefits of dairy.”
Each year, the Passion for Pints blood drives remain a vital source of community support, addressing the critical need for local blood donation during the summer months when blood centers face heightened demand. For more information, visit DairyDiscoveryZone.com/PassionforPints.
