By Kathianne Boniello
Immediately after two airliners slammed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, people began lining up at blood banks throughout Queens to donate, hoping their contributions would help victims of the terrorist attacks.
At the time blood supplies surged, but now nearly a year after the assault on the World Trade Center killed nearly 3,000 people blood donations have dropped dramatically. One nonprofit blood center reported last month that blood donations for July plummeted 25 percent from July 2001 levels.
This weekend northeast Queens residents will have a chance to bolster local blood supplies with the 12th annual blood drive sponsored by the Deepdale Gardens Community Council and the Samuel Field Y in Little Neck.
The event, scheduled to be held Sunday at the Y on Little Neck Parkway, has produced more than 200 pints of blood each of the past four years for New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, which also co-sponsors the event, organizer Helen Barkin said.
“We hope to do better than last year,” Barkin said, putting this year’s blood donation goal at more than the 202 pints collected last August.
Barkin said it is important for those who either thought about donating or who donated blood during the initial recovery from the Sept. 11 attacks to recognize the continual need for blood supplies in the region.
“The summertime is when they’re short,” she said.
New York Blood Center, a nearly 40-year-old nonprofit group which supplies blood to close to 200 hospitals in New York and New Jersey, said the decline in July blood donations was pronounced, with 8,000 fewer contributions in 2002 than in 2001.
Jenny Chan, administrative director of NYHQ’s blood bank, said the blood drive is especially needed in August.
“The need is really urgent,” said Chan, who said “the blood supply usually is very low in the summer.”
Barkin said the blood drive is also a chance for merchant and community groups to join forces, with about 50 shops and eateries donating raffle prizes and food for Sunday’s event.
“Everyone is donating, it’s really a tremendous community happening,” said Barkin, who said Slim’s Bagels in Little Neck and Richer’s Pastry Shop in Douglaston were among those contributing food for the blood drive. Several Long Island restaurants also donated free dinners and lunches as raffle prizes, she said.
Chan said it is important to remind the public about blood donation rules, including that blood donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and be between the ages of 17 and 75. Barkin said seniors who are 76 can donate if they have a note from their doctor. Mini-medical screenings will also be done at the blood drive to determine a donor’s eligibility.
The Little Neck blood drive was scheduled for Sunday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Y at 58-20 Little Neck Parkway. Donors can make an appointment by calling 428-5050 or walk in to donate.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
