The weather is changing, and Oklahoma Blood Institute is urging donors to take advantage of the mild season to give blood and save the lives of their fellow Oklahomans.
Join Sand Springs Church of Christ at a blood drive with Oklahoma Blood Institute from 5 to 8 p.m., Monday, April 17, in the Fellowship Room. Healthy adults*, age 16 and older, can give blood.
Donors will receive a free “Hero” t-shirt in their choice of spring color: blue, purple or green.
“Warmer temperatures mean more activities, so it’s important to make time to give blood this spring,” said Jan Laub, Tulsa Executive Director. “But as we know all too well in Oklahoma, spring weather can change in an instant. That’s why it is so important to have enough life-saving blood on the shelves at our local hospitals for trauma patients as well as those battling cancer or other serious illnesses.”
This year, Oklahoma Blood Institute is celebrating 40 years of saving local lives. Oklahoma Blood Institute relies on donations from more than 1,000 donors each day to meet the needs of patients at more than 160 hospitals and medical facilities statewide including Saint Francis Health System, Cancer Treatment Center, Oklahoma Surgical Hospital, Tulsa Spine and Specialty Hospital, and all Air Ambulance Services in Northeast Oklahoma. Blood can be donated every 56 days. Platelets can be given as often as every seven days, up to 24 times a year.
If donors opt not to take the t-shirt, funds will be donated to Global Blood Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization helping secure supplies and bloodmobiles for blood centers in developing countries.
Appointments to give blood are not required but can be made by visiting obi.org or calling (877) 340-8777.
*16 year olds must weigh at least 125 pounds and provide signed parental permission; 17 year olds must weigh at least 125 pounds; 18+ year olds must weigh at least 110 pounds
