Published: October 29, 2009 04:44 pm      

Annual blood drive to be held today at OPD

Giving blood is a Halloween tradition for Ken Thayer, as is inviting his friends to do the same. And this year he wants you too.

For the eighth consecutive year, Thayer will hold a blood drive at the Orange Police Department as a way of helping, or ‘treating’ as the old Halloween saying goes, the LifeShare Blood Center and others who might eventually need blood for transfusions or other medical reasons.

The blood drive is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., today, in the Danny Gray room of the Orange Police Department, which is located on Eighth Street in downtown Orange.

Thayer, whose birthday is actually Oct. 31, began his yearly birthday blood gathering bash on his 50th birthday. Each year he attempts to persuade enough friends and colleagues to match his age in pints of blood as a goal. This year’s goal is 58 pints of blood.

“There are a large number of blood drives going on around the area right now, so I don’t know if we’ll reach our goal or not, but I say that every year,” Thayer said with a laugh.

Weather may be a factor today as well, but Thayer said his key contributors, the ones who donate each year, would not be deterred from attending and contributing.

“It’s for a good cause, and there are a lot of people who like to help,” Thayer said. “It’s always worth it.”