Blood Drives Held In August

New Jersey Blood Services has planned the following blood drives:

Aug. 19:  Long Hill 1st Aid Squad in Gillette, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Aug. 20: First Presbyterian Church of Whippany, Whippany, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Medicine Shoppe, Rockaway 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Lake Hopatcong Elks 782, Mount Arlington, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Rotary, St. Francis Health Resort, Denville, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m..

Aug. 21: Hilton, Parsippany, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Aug. 24: Knights of Columbus, Netcong, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Aug. 25:St. Vincent DePaul Church, Stirling, 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Aug. 27: Rockaway Townsquare Mall, Rockaway 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Aug. 28: Madison Area YMCA, Madison 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Aug. 30:St. Jude’s Church, Budd Lake, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center (NYBC) is asking for help to maintain an adequate supply of all blood types, but especially O-negative – the “universal” blood which can be transfused into anyone in an emergency.  In addition, hundreds of additional blood drives need to be scheduled to meet projected hospital demand.  Current inventory of several blood types is running below the desired target level.

“It’s simple:  hospital patient demand for blood often outpaces our best efforts to recruit donors and schedule blood drives,” said NYBC Executive Director of Donor Recruitment Andrea Cefarelli.  “There are always reasons but we have to overcome that for the sake of hospital patients who need us.”

“This is one of the toughest times of the year,” Cefarelli added.  “We’re asking for our dedicated supporters to roll up their sleeves to make sure we’re able to provide our hospital partners with whatever they need to take care of their patients.”

Blood products have a short shelf life – from five to 42 days, so constant replenishment is necessary.  Each and every day there are patients who depend on the transfusion of red blood cells, platelets and plasma to stay alive. But blood and blood products can’t be manufactured. They can only come from volunteer blood donors who take an hour to attend a blood drive or visit a donor center.

To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive
call 1-800-933-2566; visit: www.nybloodcenter.org.