The 19th annual 'Heroes Behind the Badges' competition is over, and Sioux Falls Fire Rescue has been declared the winner. But it's also accurate to say the winners are those needing blood.

The friendly competition is held each year around the holidays as firefighters and the Sioux Falls Police Department square off for the most donations to the Community Blood Bank.

The competition ran from December 26, 2014 through January 5, 2015, and it ended with 739 donations, with SFFR contributing 410 and SFPD responsible for 329.

Those donations helped 2,217 people.

Sioux Falls Fire Rescue will donate the $700 first prize to the Children's Home Society (compliments of Citibank and Farmers Insurance (the Rod Goeman Agency), and Sioux Falls Police will donate $300 to the Special Olympics of South Dakota, at a luncheon hosted by Texas Roadhouse.

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