Choctaw Nation Comes Out on Top in Tribal Blood Drive Challenge

DURANT, Okla. – The Annual Tribal Blood Drive Challenge has ended in a successful amount of donations given through drives held by four tribes across Oklahoma. Choctaw Nation had the most participation ever, resulting in giving a winning amount of donations during the event. The Chickasaws join the Choctaw Nation in first place with both tribes achieving 103% over their expected participation. This challenge is the second of what has become an annual event. Overall, Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) received enough blood to save 8,622 lives.

Choctaw Nation hosted several blood drives throughout the reservation from August 2022 to January 2023 offering tribal members, associates and others the opportunity to give blood. These drives resulted in more than 1,500 volunteers donating blood. The Choctaw Nation was first among other tribes, receiving 103% of the donations OBI expected to receive.

“I thank you all from the bottom of my heart,” says Gary Batton, Chief of the Choctaw Nation. “Even though the next Tribal Blood Drive Challenge doesn’t start until August, you can continue to give blood by visiting either the Choctaw Nation events page or OBI’s website.”

The Oklahoma Blood Institute is a part of Our Blood Institute, the sixth-largest independent blood center in the nation with 16 donor centers in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. “Partnering with the Tribal Nations made sense to us as we work to increase blood supplies through the state of Oklahoma,” says Michelle McGuire of OBI. “We’re grateful for their help in this monumental effort to save lives.”