Published: August 18, 2008 04:18 pm            

Pork council supports OBI

The Oklahoma Pork Council (OPC) is joining Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) to encourage all healthy Oklahomans, 17 and older, to donate blood to prepare community blood supplies for the Labor Day weekend.

This marks the third year that Oklahoma Pork Council has provided delicious reasons to donate.

Thursday, August 28, and Friday, August 29, from 10 a.m. to close at all OBI donor centers statewide, donors will enjoy pulled-pork sandwiches served with Head Country BBQ sauce and the chance to win a tailgate party for 40 friends from The Pork Council.

Renda Broadcasting’s Oklahoma City-based radio stations – KRXO, KOMA, KMGL and KOKC - are on board as well, offering daily prizes at selected donor centers during the entire week of August 25, and a grand prize drawing for a television from Best Buy®.

Holiday weekends often lead to a slump in blood donations, according to John Armitage, M.D., President and CEO of OBI.

“This decline can put the lives of people who rely on blood products for survival in jeopardy. Even more, as donations decrease in these times, the need for blood increases. In addition to regularly scheduled surgeries and treatments that require blood, OBI often sees an increase in blood usage during holiday weekends due to traumas, like motorcycle, boating and car crashes.

“Blood donors save lives. That’s the bottom line,” Dr. Armitage says.

“As a community, we need to come together to be prepared not only for the surgeries that are scheduled at our state’s hospitals, but also for the emergencies that can happen during this Labor Day weekend.”

All donors will receive an OBI drawstring backpack, free cholesterol check and Members for Life points that are redeemable online for gift cards, merchandise and health testing. For more information or to make an appointment to give during the Pork Council promotion, call 1-800-OBI-GIVE or visit www.obi.org.

        

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