Donors will save lives and receive their choice of a free University of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State University blood donor T-shirt at any of three Muskogee-area blood drives the first week of November.

Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) encourages all healthy, Muskogee-area residents, age 17 and older to donate at one of the following blood drives:

• Oklahoma School for the Blind — Monday, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the school’s Lowry Hall Recreation Center, 3300 Gibson St. This drive is a Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) student sponsored project. For more information or to make an appointment, contact Allison Garner, 781-8200.

• Jackson Hewitt Tax Service — Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the OBI bloodmobile at Jackson Hewitt, 2177 Chandler Road. For more information or to make an appointment to donate, contact Keri Morgan, 686-6800. Free lunch for all donors from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donors can enter to win OU Sooners gift basket. Donors at this drive will receive discounted tax preparation!

• First Presbyterian Church of Muskogee — Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the church’s Nash Hall, 500 W. Broadway. For more information or to make an appointment to donate, contact Jean Kay, 687-5401.

Along with the blood donor T-shirt, donors also receive free health screenings and Members for Life points to redeem at OBI’s online store.

“Whether donors ‘bleed’ crimson or orange, the critical need for blood crosses team lines,” said Dr. John Armitage, Oklahoma Blood Institute president and CEO. “We appreciate the people of Muskogee for taking an hour of their time to save the lives of those in the community.”

OBI provides every drop of blood needed by the Muskogee Community Hospital and the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center in Muskogee, as well as for most other hospitals statewide. Donations take about an hour and can be made every 56 days. Photo identification is required to donate.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood at any OBI site, call toll-free (877) 340-8777, or visit www.obi.org for a list of blood drives and donor centers.