The New York Blood Center’s (NYBC) “Pint for a Pint” campaign has partnered with five bars across the borough to encourage residents to donate blood for a free beverage voucher.
August marks the third year of the NYBC campaign, part of one of the largest and nationally recognized independent blood centers. This year, the campaign partners with over 70 breweries and pubs across the state to address the urgent need for blood donations.
The campaign runs from Thursday, Aug. 1 to Tuesday, Sep. 10. The participating pubs in Queens this year include:
- Geordie’s Joint, located at 7919 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven
- Queens Beer Garden, located at 80-60 Cooper Ave. in Glendale
- SingleCut Beersmiths QNS, located at 19-33 37th St. in Astoria
- Rivercrest, located at 33-15 Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria
- Hoi Polloi, located at 37-09 College Point Blvd. in Flushing
Senior Vice President at New York Blood Center Andrea Cefarelli said the campaign has continued to generate great results for both the business and the blood banks needing specific blood types. She added that the campaign also gives New Yorkers a fun way to beat the summer heat and support local businesses.
“New York Blood Center is grateful for the generosity of our local breweries and pubs for supporting us each year by raising awareness and donating beverages,” said Cefarelli.
According to the NYBC, August is a historically challenging time for the blood supply. Summer travel, school breaks and seasonal gatherings make blood donation less of a priority for families while out and about.
NYBC also recently issued an urgent call for type O+ and O- blood donations, as the current inventory of type O blood is the lowest it has been since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the blood donation organizations confirmed.
The impact of local hospitals not having readily accessible donated blood is also part of a national trend of Type O shortages that the NYBC finds disturbing.
Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines, visit nybc.org or call (800)-688-0900.
To make an appointment at a blood drive near you, donors can call (800)-933-2566 or visit nybc.org/pint. Cannot donate blood? You can still support NYBC’s mission by texting “NYBC” to 20222 to give $25.
