Blood drive Thursday at Elks Lodge

Pawhuska’s first responders are looking for residents to support their efforts through blood donation with Oklahoma Blood Institute. Those who give at the Guns ‘N Hoses blood drive Thursday will provide blood needed to save local lives, like those that fire and law enforcement staffs rescue every day.

Anyone 16 years or older is urged to stop by the Pawhuska Elks Lodge between noon and 6 p.m. All donors will receive special-edition Guns ‘N Hoses T-shirts a pass for two to Safari Joe’s H2O Water Park in Tulsa. They will also participate in a little healthy competition by designating their donations to either the fire department or law enforcement as each rallies to top the other with the most donors. The Elks Lodge will be providing soup and sandwiches and the Pawhuska Hospital Auxiliary will be providing dessert.

Although all blood types are needed, donors with O-negative blood are particularly asked to come out. While only 9 percent of the population has this blood type, it is the ‘universal type’ and can be used at an accident scene or emergency department when there’s not time to identify a patient’s type.

“Pawhuska first responders see first-hand the daily need for blood when those they rescue require life-saving treatment,” said Jan Laub,OBI Tulsa executive director. “We can’t say enough about the service they provide, and we owe it to them to do our part in making sure blood is available to save those whom they have risked their lives to rescue.”

Appointments for the blood drive may be made by calling 877-340-8777 or visiting obi.org.