Robert Bolton/Pioneer
Lakesha Shields, OBI supervisor prepares OCCC Physical Therapy Assistant Lindsay Cox for her donation at the blood drive on Nov. 2. Cox was donating for a friend that was in need of a blood transfusion after undergoing open heart surgery on Nov. 1. Any student wishing to donate off campus is welcome to do so at any local blood bank. To find a local donation center, visit www.obi.org.

The Oklahoma Blood Institute hosted a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 2 in the general dining area of the Main building.

The OBI set up a mobile donation center in the dining area and was giving cookies and soda to help raise the blood sugar of those who gave blood.

“Each donation saves three lives,” said supervisor Lakesha Shields.

As of 1 p.m., 27 people had already donated. Though the results will not be released for a few weeks, Jill Lindblad, Student Life coordinator, said on average as many as 90 students show up to these events, and only about 50 will actually be eligible to donate.

According to the OBI website, people who are interested in donating can go to any donation center to give blood.

Several people who donate, were there to help a single person, however.

Taylor Jones, Mike Jones, and Lindsay Cox donated for their friend Chris Lasiter, who had open-heart surgery on Nov. 1.

“I have a friend that’s in the hospital and he needs blood,” Physical Therapy Assistant Lindsay Cox said.

Another friend was on the same mission.

“He had open-heart surgery yesterday and he lost a lot of blood, so the doctors asked us to donate,” said Taylor Jones, a friend of Lasiter .

Lasiter, 22, went to the doctor for pneumonia when physicians noticed that his body wasn’t working properly.

“They noticed that his blood wasn’t clotting properly,” Jones said.

The doctors did a full body check and found that he had a bad heart valve.

Besides saving friends, those donating had another reason to donate.

People who donated at the blood drive also received an OU shirt that reads “I bleed crimson,” or an OSU shirt that says “I bleed orange.”

For more information on the OBI or locating a donation center, visit their website at www.obi.org, or call toll free to 1-877-340-8777.

For more information on the results of the mobile donation, follow the Pioneer online at www.occc.edu/pioneer.

To contact Robert Bolton, email onlinewriter@occc.edu.