Public Communications serves as a communications link between the city of Columbia’s municipal government and the citizens. The Public Communications Office coordinates several programs that are designed to link citizens with their city government.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Zim Schwartze, OEM Director, or Scott Smith, Public Information Officer - (573) 874-7400

Office of Emergency Management and American Red Cross join forces; Blood drive at City Hall 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Monday, June 14

COLUMBIA, MO (June 12, 2010) - The Columbia/Boone County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will host an American Red Cross blood drive this Monday, June 14. This drive is designed to get city employees and the public “Red Cross Ready”. The drive takes place from 11:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. in rooms 1A and 1B of the new City Hall at 701 East Broadway in downtown Columbia.

“As most everyone knows, there’s always a need for blood in our area and around the world,” says OEM Director Zim Schwartze. “Whether for surgeries at our local hospitals or because of a disaster elsewhere in the world, the need is constant and critical. One pint of blood can help up to three people. We’ve had over 20 city employees commit to giving blood on Monday, which means over 60 people will be helped. Our goal is to get at least 30 donors, so we’re more than two-thirds of the way there!”

The Red Cross reports a critical need for type O-Negative blood, which is known as the “universal donor type”, because it can be transfused to patients with any blood type, especially in emergency situations when the patient's blood type is not known.

The public is also invited to drop by the blood drive to donate and pick up materials from the Red Cross and OEM, to become “Red Cross Ready”. For more information on the drive, or how to be prepared in the face of disaster, contact the Columbia/Boone County Office of Emergency Management at (573) 874-7400.

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