SUQUAMISH — In an effort to keep hospitals stocked and the bone marrow register full, Puget Sound Blood Center’s Bloodmobile cruised to the Clearwater Casino last Wednesday.

And while PSBC crews weren’t looking to hit it big at the poker table or roulette wheel, they were looking to score by finding new donors. They also signed people up for the bone marrow register, looking especially to tribal members for donations.

“We’re trying to recruit bone marrow donors that are non-Caucasian,” said senior Bloodmobile collection specialist Dewey Rumley. “We have plenty of Caucasians already, but not enough minority groups yet.”

Clearwater Casino Human Resources Director Barbara Griffin, who orchestrated the visit, encouraged her employees to participate.

“We’re hoping that guests who see our employees out there, and just the Bloodmobile itself, will be encouraged to take some time and donate,” she said, adding that 26 people gave blood, 15 of whom were first-time donors. “All of my employees did it on company time. I had a chat with them, and we all thought it was worthwhile to donate.”

“This is my first time donating,” said Clearwater Casino employee Laree Lawrence, noting that she was a bit nervous about needles. “My co-workers encouraged me to come out and donate. I felt it was important.”

In an effort to make the prickly donation process more attractive, Clearwater Casino offered vouchers for a $6 meal at any casino, Griffin said.

“After you give blood, they encourage you to drink lots of water and eat a good meal,” she said. “It made sense for us to give each participant a meal voucher so they could eat afterwards.”

While registering to donate blood marrow was less painful, the procedure is just as important, PSBC officials agreed.

“To get on the bone marrow register doesn’t involve any kind of blood draw anymore,” Rumley said. “All we need to do now is four swabs inside the mouth, and we know if you’re a good donor.”

“It’s great to give blood, and it’s great that we can encourage it by offering these vouchers,” Griffin said. “We’re in the community, and it’s so great when we can give back to the community.”