The New York Mets and the New York Blood Center partnered to hold their annual summer blood drive, presented by NewYork-Presbyterian, in the Piazza Club at Citi Field on Monday, Aug. 12.
All donors for this cause received a voucher for two tickets to a select Mets home game between Monday and Thursday during the 2024 season. Mr. Met was on hand to greet the over 520 blood donors for providing such a valuable gift.
“There is nothing quite like supporting the home team and enjoying a baseball game during the summer! We are grateful to the New York Mets for donating ticket vouchers to help us turn out blood donors during this historically difficult time for the blood supply,” said Andrea Cefarelli, Senior Vice President at the New York Blood Center. “To all the Mets fans who stepped up to the plate to donate blood today, your generosity is essential to the region’s public health, and we hope you will make blood donation a life-long habit.”
This blood drive came just a month after the New York Blood Center issued an urgent call for type O+ and O- blood donations. The current inventory of type O blood is at its lowest since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Type O+ is the most common blood type, representing almost 40% of the U.S. population. Type O- is the universal blood type commonly used in emergencies. Consequently, a shortage of both types, both locally and nationally, can be a serious concern for the healthcare system. This makes the need for donors all the more critical.
The Mets and the New York Blood Center have been partnering to hold blood drives for 12 years. This latest drive marked the 40th that the two organizations have hosted together.
“I am proud to support two iconic organizations, New York Blood Center and the New York Mets, in their longstanding commitment to doing good,” said Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz. “I was thrilled to attend and see so many members of my community turn out for our home team and give of themselves—providing lifesaving blood donations at this critical time of need.”
Blood donors can give once every 56 days and up to six times a year. To view the current eligibility guidelines for potential donors, click here, or call 1-800-688-0900. Interested donors can make an appointment at a blood drive near them by calling 1-800-933-2566 or visiting nybc.org. Even those unable to donate blood can still support NYBC’s mission by texting “NYBC” to “20222” to give $25.
