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Health & Fitness

Hurricane Sandy causes blood drive cancellations & a loss of 4,500+ Units of Blood; NJBS calls upon Hunterdon, Middlesex, and Union County donors this weekend

Hurricane Sandy causes blood drive cancellations & a loss of 4,500+ Units of Blood NJBS calls upon Hunterdon, Middlesex, and Union County donors this weekend

New Jersey Blood Services (NJBS), a division of New York Blood Center, is calling upon donors to assist in our efforts to make sure there is no disruption in the critical blood and blood product supply.  Due to cancellations during and following Hurricane Sandy, approximately 4,500 units of blood have been lost.  That number is expected to rise 6,000 units as prolonged power outages and flooding will force more cancellations into next week. 

 

We urge donors to come out and assist in keeping the local blood supply above critical levels.  The current schedule of blood drives in New Jersey are as follows:

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Friday, November 2nd, at Clinton First Aid and Rescue Squad, 11am – 7pm.  48 Old Highway 22, Clinton

Friday, November 2nd at Flemington Elks Lodge, 11am – 7pm.  165 Route 31 South, Flemington 

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Donors may check the New Jersey Blood Services Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NewJerseyBloodServices to keep updated on added drives throughout the weekend.

Facilities with running power and water are being called upon to schedule a blood drive this weekend and next week.  A blood emergency has not been announced as a sufficient amount of blood drives have not yet been scheduled to allow the community to respond.  Any willing parties are asked to contact Marie Forrestal at mforrestal@nybloodcenter.org or (732) 616-0798.

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
Please call Toll Free: 1-800-933-2566
Visit:
www.nybloodcenter.org

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