KANSAS CITY, MO – The Big 12 Conference announced that Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City will serve as a proud partner of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, beginning in 2020.
Kansas City undoubtedly shares a rich history of hosting Big 12 postseason events, and will welcome the Big 12 Women’s Championship back this March for the first time since 2012. The men’s championship has been played in Kansas City annually since 2010, and 18 years overall.
In honor of the legacy the city has and will continue to have, Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City (CBC) will support the postseason events in a brand new partnership with the Big 12 Conference. The multi-year agreement was secured by Big 12 Sports Properties on behalf of the Conference, and it allows for CBC to host Big 12-themed blood drives throughout the region leading up to the Phillips 66 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Fans will be encouraged to donate blood at one of many themed blood drives in the Greater Kansas City area leading up to the events. Additionally, the CBC mobile bus will be set up outside Municipal Auditorium and Sprint Center during Fan Fest for those fans that want to donate and save up to three lives.
“The Big 12 is proud to begin this new partnership with Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City and support its life-saving mission,” said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “We continually strive to make a positive impact in our communities and this opportunity can touch an endless number of people.”
At select CBC-hosted blood drives, all registered donors will receive a special Big 12 and CBC co-branded shirt. In addition, each select drive will have a raffle for donors to win either tickets to the women’s championship title game or one session of the men’s championship.
“Community Blood Center has proudly served the Greater Kansas City community for over 60 years,” said Kim Peck, Senior Executive Director of CBC. “It’s a privilege to partner with the Big 12 and save lives alongside our collegiate communities as well.”
CBC’s connection with the Phillips 66 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be elevated across Big 12 official social media accounts and inside Municipal Auditorium and Sprint Center noting the non-profit organization as a community partner. Fans will also hear more about the blood drives on the “Big 12 This Week” SiriusXM radio program on channel 375.
Big 12 Sports Properties is the Learfield IMG College team dedicated to the Conference as its sponsorship rights holder.
2020 Big 12 Blood Drives
Sunday, January 12 (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.): Lee’s Summit Christian Church
Tuesday-Thursday, February 11-13 (11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.): Northwest Missouri State University
Wednesday, February 12 (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.): KU Price Computing Center
Thursday, February 13 (7 a.m. – 7 p.m.): Olathe Medical Center
Tuesday, February 25 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.): Missouri Western State University School of Nursing & Health Professionals
Wednesday, February 26 (7 a.m. – 12 p.m.): VA Medical Center – Kansas City
Wednesday, February 26 (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.): University of Kansas – Alderson Union
Friday, February 28 (8 a.m. – 2 p.m.): North Kansas City Hospital
Tuesday & Wednesday, March 3-4 (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.): University of Kansas – Burge Union, Forum D/A
About Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City (CBC)
Community Blood Center, now part of the NYBC family, serves hospitals in the Kansas City metropolitan area, as well as eastern Kansas and western Missouri. CBC provides nearly 200,000 blood products per year to approximately 65 area hospitals – and calls upon about 580 donors each day to meet the need for a life-saving gift of blood. The blood center makes timely deliveries of safe, high-quality products to meet transfusion needs, for routine care and emergencies. For more information, visit http://www.savealifenow.org/.
About Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 10 Universities – Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12 is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference that encompasses five states with over 40 million people within its geographic footprint. In its 24th year, the Conference has produced over 680 Academic All-America selections and claimed national championship team titles in 17 of its 23 sponsored sports. Its student-athletes and teams have combined for over 660 individual NCAA titles and 63 team national championships. Nearly 5,000 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually under the Big 12 banner. For more information, visit Big12Sports.com and follow the Conference on Facebook (Facebook.com/Big12), Twitter (@Big12Conference) and You Tube (YouTube.com/Big12Conference).