The inaugural Energy FC blood drive sponsored by the Oklahoma Blood Institute and the Oklahoma Pork Council on July 8 was another fantastic example of how giving our fan base truly is. Five hours prior to kickoff against the Tulsa Roughnecks and as the mobile blood buses were finishing setup at Taft Stadium, donors were already lining up.  Those that chose to donate received a ticket to the match that night, an Energy FC t-shirt, two passes to the OKC Zoo, a pork sandwich, and of course the satisfaction that they helped save someone’s life.

When the idea to have a blood drive before a match was first proposed, our partner at OBI thought that 40 donations would be a good result for a first-ever drive. By the end of the day, a total of 70 had signed in, with 55 complete donations! The event was a success and was made possible by support from our partners at OBI and the Oklahoma Pork Council, Energy FC staff and the donors.

Giving blood is something I've done since I was old enough.  The donation process became personal when my sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer at the age of sixteen. Nineteen blood transfusions and 11 platelet transfusions were required during her treatment.  The generosity of 48 local donors helped save her life. She survived, is now married and attending law school.  I'll always be grateful for those kind folks who took the time to do something that's so easy and so important.

If you can, I encourage you to get out to your local blood donation center and help save lives. It doesn't take very long, and they always have plenty of great snacks.

For more information on donating, please visit https://obi.org

Thanks to guest contributor and Energy FC staff member Tyler Vaughn for this article.