FARMINGVILLE, NY – New York Blood Center (NYBC) will be hosting a blood drive on Friday, March 24th from 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Farmingville Fire Department. The blood drive will be in memory of Lieutenant William Wanser, a 9/11 first responder who died from pancreatic cancer in 2018.
Billy was an NYPD officer for 20 years and a resident of Farmingville for 34 years. He was assigned to ground zero for approximately two months, where he supported his colleagues who were working in “the pile” to go through the rubble from the terrorist attacks. Billy was proud to volunteer for the assignment and honored to assist his colleagues.
Billy was a consistent blood and plasma donor, as he understood the importance of giving back to the community. Billy received numerous blood donations when he was in the ICU, as nurses tried desperately to keep him alive. Billy’s family decided that the best way to honor his memory is through hosting blood drives and donating life-saving blood regularly.
NYBC is currently experiencing a blood emergency due to several evolving factors, including recent poor weather, school breaks and cold and flu season. Last month, NYBC and its divisions across the nation received 6,000 fewer blood donations than the year prior and blood donations are 12% below hospital and patient needs.
We are taking extra precautions to help prevent the person-to-person spread of COVID-19. As always, people are not eligible to donate if they’re experiencing a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms. Additional information on donor eligibility and COVID-19 precautions is available here.
WHEN: Friday, March 24, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Farmingville Fire Department, 780 Horseblock Rd, Farmingville, NY 11738
WHO: Blood Donors, the Wanser Family, Volunteers and New York Blood Center Representatives
WHY: It only takes one hour to donate, and a single donation can save multiple lives. Roughly one in seven hospital admissions require a blood transfusion. Those in need include: cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, newborn babies and their mothers, transplant recipients, surgery patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia, and many more.
To make an appointment at this blood drive, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit this link. Can’t donate blood? You can still support NYBC’s mission by texting ‘NYBC’ to ‘20222’ to give $25.