Blood Drive Monday, June 15

Oklahoma Blood Institute and Stafford Air and Space Museum are partnering to host a local Blood Drive Monday, June 15th, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Stafford Air and Space Museum.

Donors are encouraged to get out and donate. The museum will be giving away a Basic Family Membership to one lucky winner that donates. The membership will be good through June 2021. Everyone that comes out and donates will also be able to tour the museum free of charge 

Due to COVID-19 impacts, more than a month’s worth of blood collections have been lost. Hospital usage is rising as surgeries return to normal levels, and without rapidly increased donation rates, blood supplies soon will hit crisis levels, OBI reported.

Blood has no substitute and is perishable, with a shelf life of just 42 days. Blood supplies must be constantly replenished. OBI provides more than 90 percent of the blood to the state, requiring 1,200 donors each day to keep a healthy stock of blood on the shelf, OBI reported.

Donors can visit www.OBI.org or call (877) 340-8777 to schedule an appointment. Most people above age 15 and in good health can donate. The process takes about an hour, OBI reported.

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