Heatwave causes blood donation drop

Due to the scorching heat wave that gripped the New York metropolitan area last week, New York Blood Center (NYBC) experienced a 30 percent decrease in blood donations over the course of three days. As a result, NYBC is urging many businesses, civic and community groups and other organizations in Queens to host blood drives all throughout the balance of August and through September.
So far, over 50 organizations have offered to help out, among them the Holliswood Jewish Center in Jamaica, The Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens in Long Island City, and Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst.
&#8220We rely on close to 600 people each week to donate blood in Queens,” said Dr. James Louie, the Vice President of the New York Blood Center. &#8220The majority of those donors give at organized blood drives. In fact, we simply could not fulfill our vital community mission without the generosity of volunteer blood donors and blood drive sponsors.”
Blood donations were already off by more than 10 percent compared to last year and generally decline during the summer months due to less than average donor turnout, a preoccupation with summer vacations as well as the inability to collect blood at high school and college drives.
&#8220Fortunately, this summer, we have been able to meet the needs of our local hospitals. But the only way to guarantee this summer will not repeat prior summer patterns is to schedule additional blood donation and drive opportunities,” Dr. Louie stated.
Anyone eligible to donate blood or host a blood drive, please call 1-800-933-BLOOD or visit www.nybloodcenter.org to schedule an appointment or locate the most convenient donor location in the New York metropolitan area.