Big Blue Slam kicks off Monday with limited blood donation hours due to winter weather

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Despite winter weather impacting operations across the state, Kentucky Blood Center says its annual Big Blue Slam blood drive will still begin Monday — just on a smaller scale.

According to a release from Kentucky Blood Center, only its two Lexington donor centers — Beaumont and Andover — will be open Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All other donor centers across the state will be closed, and all mobile blood drives scheduled for Monday, including those at the University of Kentucky, have been canceled.

KBC officials say they’re hoping to return to full operations on Tuesday. If weather conditions improve as expected, all eight donor centers will reopen from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and public mobile blood drives will take place at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton Student Center and William T. Young Library, the Kentucky Farm Bureau in Springfield, and the Aspire Center in Monticello.

Big Blue Slam runs through Friday, Jan. 30, and KBC is urging donors to come out later this week when it’s safe to do so — especially to make up for donations lost because of weather-related cancellations.

The annual Big Blue Slam is a friendly blood donation competition between Kentucky Blood Center and LifeSouth Community Blood Center, created to help boost donations during winter months when snow, ice and illness often slow collections. Kentucky currently leads the rivalry 11–6, including wins in the last four years.

All donors who give during the Big Blue Slam will receive a commemorative T-shirt as a thank you for helping save local lives.

Appointments can be scheduled at kybloodcenter.org or by calling 800-775-2522. Updated hours and drive locations are available at bit.ly/BigBlueSlam2026.

According to KBC, donors must be at least 17 years old — or 16 with parental consent — weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health, and bring a photo ID.