The Ardmore location of the Oklahoma Blood Institute is going places — literally. And Wednesday afternoon a group of executives and community leaders met to break ground for their new donor facility.

The new building, designed by local firm SDG Architects, will be located at 2235 Merrick Drive. Construction is expected to be complete by May of next year. Dr. John Armitage, President and CEO of the Oklahoma Blood Institute, addressed the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking. He said the new building will serve as a symbol for hope, community and uplift.“The people who are going to be coming here are going to be dedicated to giving,” Armitage said.

“This facility is going to be an amazing tribute to that human need to give, and we’re here celebrating the creation of this facility dedicated to that wonderful impulse to help others.” He encouraged everyone present to come back in a few months to give blood in the new facility and help others.

“Anybody who has seen donors or been around donors knows that the act of giving blood is uplifting,” Armitage said. “It’s a spiritual moment for many when they realize they’re getting in touch with what they are intended to do. The good that is inside them literally comes out and is shared with someone else.”

Armitage said the new building could not have been possible if not for the efforts of local employees and grants provided by local nonprofit organizations. The Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation, the McCrory Foundation, the Westheimer Foundation, and the Ardmore Institute of Health all helped provide funds for the new building. Moving further out, the new facility also received funding from the Mabee Foundation out of Tulsa and the Sarkese Foundation from Norman.

“One of the great things about the Oklahoma Standard is it’s statewide and we get together to support one another whether there’s an issue or an opportunity to build and grow,” Armitage said. “It’s also a delight to be a part of a community here in Ardmore that is legendary for doing the right thing for neighbors and stepping up.”

See the original article in The Daily Ardmoreite here