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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – AUGUST 6, 2017

Contact:

Erica Dudas – Managing Director, New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation | (504) 415-3514 | erica@nomaf.org

Christina Duggar – Founder, Nola Organ Grinders | (504) 214-7010 | nolaorgangrinders@gmail.com

New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic, NOLA Organ Grinders host 4th annual Blood Drive in response to Blood Supply Shortage

Hawaiian-Themed Event on August 27 brings together hundreds of performers to help re-stock New Orleans’ blood supply in a time of critical need

  • Sunday, August 27, 11a – 5p at Tipitina’s
  • eCritical need for blood from new and returning donors
  • Organ Grinders goal: 250 pints
  • On-site Medicaid enrollment, voter registration, HIV and Hepatits C testing, and more
  • Entertainment, raffles, and limbo contest
  • Music culture meets community wellness

NEW ORLEANS, LA–  The Organ Grinders (OG) and the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and Assistance Foundation (NOMAF) co-host their 4th annual tiki-themed blood drive on Sunday, August 27 from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm at Tipitina’s. The groups’ goal is to collect 250 pints of blood for The Blood Center of New Orleans in a day filled with live music, dance troupe showcases, raffle and more.

“This isn’t your average blood drive,” says Christina Duggar, Founding President of the NOLA Organ Grinders who has coordinated more than 13 local dance troupes to come out in costume that day. “The event illustrates the philanthropic capacity of Mardi Gras Dance troupes – all while doing something very important: stocking blood transfusions at a time when the city needs it the most.”

The Blood Center of New Orleans says it relies on a collection rate of 350 pints each day to answer the needs of the region, and will be bringing 5 blood buses to keep up with the day’s demand. “This event is a tremendous benefit to New Orleans – it engages new blood donors at a time when we need them the most” says Paul Adams, Public Relations Manager for the Blood Center. “We applaud the Organ Grinders and Musicians’ Clinic for their dedication to solving a problem that affects everyone – we all know someone who has needed a transfusion.

NOMAF began organizing blood drives in response to the Mother’s Day Shooting on Frenchmen St in 2013. Following the 2014 shooting on Bourbon Street that injured 9 and killed a young nursing student, the OGs got involved. “At first the vision was to organize these blood drive parties as a constructive response to the city’s ongoing violence” explains Erica Dudas, NOMAF’s Managing Director. “Now they’re a celebration where New Orleans’ rich music culture meets community wellness – a space that the Musicians’ Clinic mission is always seeking to expand and harmonize. Partying and preventive health going hand-in-hand, it’s beautiful.”

The event will offer Medicaid Enrollment and Rapid HIV and Hep C testing courtesy of Odyssey House Louisiana. Event goers can also sign up to vote and obtain a New Orleans Public Library Card on site, as well as learn about offerings from partners such as 504 Health Net, NOLA Ready, MaCCNO, Fair Housing Action Center, CeaseFire, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Mosquito Control Services.

If the group succeeds in collecting 250 pints before or at the event, they will have accumulated more than 1,000 units of blood total, translating to roughly 3,000 transfusions for local hospitals.

EVENT DETAILS

Hawaiian Blood Drive: Everybody Gets Lei’d Part IV
When: Sunday, August 27 2017, 11:00AM – 5:00PM
Where: Tipitina’s | 501 Napoleon Ave
SIGN UP  |  RSVP ON FACEBOOK 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

All are welcome, and the group expects an attendance of more than 900 the day of the event.

Blood donors are encouraged to pre-register and reserve a donation time to avoid wait times. https://goo.gl/FGXAuz

Those who give blood at the event will receive a floral lei, event t-shirt, food and beverage donated by several local restaurants. Tiki costumes are encouraged.

Those who cannot make the event may visit any Blood Center location prior to August 27 and tell the staff they’re donating for the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic & Assistance Foundation (K090) – Tipitina’s to be included in that number.

EVENT ENTERTAINMENT

Bonerama, SOUL Brass Band, DJ Fayard Lindsey, Jeremy Thomas & The BlackLight and NickName & The Valmonts will play the event. Thirteen dance troupes will present a dancer showcase and more than 100 local businesses have already donated to the day’s raffle and silent auction. The winner of 2 roundtrip Southwest Airline tickets will be announced and The Rolling Elvi will also host a competitive limbo competition.

Official Dance Troupe Partners

The Organ Grinders, Camel Toe Lady Steppers, The Cherry Bombs, Cosmonaughties, El Lucha Krewe, High Quality Dancers, Rolling Elvi Jailhouse Rockers, Muff-A-Lottas, The Nola Showgirls, Petty Betties, Pussyfooters, Roux La La, The Sirens, Fleur de Tease, Dames de Perlage

About the Nola Organ Grinders
Founded in 2010, the Nola Organ Grinders (OG) are an equal-opportunity dance troupe of women and men known for delivering non-stop monkey-tail shaking in popular Mardi Gras parades. The joyous philanthropy group makes positive moves in the community with regards to valuing body image and body confidence, embracing diversity in sisterhood and campaigning for healthy living and wellness programs across Greater New Orleans. Raising awareness for critical blood and organ donation is the OG’s main outreach mission. For additional information: www.nolaorgangrinders.com/about

About the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and Assistance Foundation
Founded in 1998 by a coalition of music advocates, the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic (NOMC) is a donor-supported, brick and mortar health care clinic for area performers within the LSU Healthcare Network. It is the first and only comprehensive clinic for musicians and cultural workers in the USA and currently provides culturally-sensitive primary medical care to more than 2,500 patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. The New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation (NOMAF) supports and operates the NOMC and additionally services as a health advocacy organization for the larger music community to promote wellness and health literacy. For more information on the New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation, visit neworleansmusiciansclinic.org.

About the Blood Center
Founded in 1960, The Blood Center is the primary supplier of blood, blood components and plasma derivatives to local hospitals throughout South Louisiana and parts of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We are a non-profit, community service organization guided by a volunteer Board of Trustees, comprised of community leaders and hospital representatives.