LAWTON – Lions Clubs from across the Sooner State banded together to benefit Oklahoma Blood Institute’s need for a new fully equipped Bloodmobile.
With a price tag of $377,046, the new mobile unit, equipped with an apheresis machine that captures red blood cells and returns plasma to donors, will join OBI’s 18-vehicle Bloodmobile fleet which covers all 77 Oklahoma counties and extends to our neighbors in north Texas and western Arkansas. The newest Bloodmobile enables the organization to receive donations throughout the Lawton Market, which encompasses 11 counties across southwest Oklahoma and Texhoma, OBI’s website states.
Over the past year, many community blood drives that had been postponed or cancelled due to public health concerns triggered by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic. Instead many supporters made their way to OBI’s donor centers to help those in need of lifesaving blood. “One of the silver linings during this whole crisis has been that we have had a lot of support,” said Dr. John Armitage, president and CEO of the Oklahoma Blood Institute. “People have remembered the blood supply.”
On behalf of Lions across state, Lawton Noon Lions, one of the three chapters of Lions Clubs in Lawton, presented a $10,000 check to OBI during a meeting held Monday evening at the Prairie Building of the Comanche County Fairgrounds.
With a thriving partnership between the OBI and Lions Club, Armitage mentioned the Lions helped purchase the first Bloodmobile in the late ’70s when OBI was first founded.
“The last Bloodmobile (purchased in 2003) has surpassed it useful lifespan, and so they approached us to assist them in purchasing another one and we gladly accepted that challenge,” said Daniel Farrell, former Council Chair for Lions of Oklahoma. “We had some trouble raising the funds because of COVID, but we were able to raise more than $10,000.”
Significant contributions came from Lions Club “champs” as far away as Tulsa, Ada and Anadarko as well as Lawton Leos (younger Lions Club members), the McMahon and McCasland foundations, said Farrell.
“The partnership we have with the Lions over past decades has been tremendous,” said Christi Chambers, executive director of OBI’s Lawton Market. “We just want to thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their continuing support and donations. They’re always there when needed. And the Leos have definitely impressed us. For being such a young group, they have been so responsible and caring. They’ve not only donated blood, but also helped financially.”
Armitage stated that the new Bloodmobile will allow OBI to meet up with some organizations that aren’t fully opened yet. The organization is “shuffling through blood drives to find ways to regain our footing” after the pandemic had taken its toll, he added.
“With people re-entering their activities, there has been an increase in trauma, continued Armitage. “As life opens up again … we’re seeing accidents that come along with spring anyway, but it feels like this time it’s coming at us in a rush.”
However, “this surge in demand that has put us in a position to ask for help,” Armitage stated. “We think we’re going to be doing more mobiles with the buses than in the past because our groups aren’t going to be as big as they were. So, we need to hustle to more locations and do smaller drives. Having an extra bus enables us to ask a few more people who might not have a big conference room, cafeteria or gymnasium.”
Persons uncertain as to whether they are eligible to donate should call (800) 340-8777 or visit https://obi.org.