New York Blood Center (NYBC) will be hosting a blood drive on Sunday, August 18th from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Brookhaven. The blood drive will be held in loving memory of Bruce Quatrale, a beloved and active member of the Patchogue community.
Bruce was the owner of Incircle Insurance Company and an active member of the Italian American Club of Brookhaven. He also volunteered at the Fuoco Golf Feastival to help raise money for a camp for special needs children. Bruce regularly donated blood until his cancer diagnosis in October 2008. His family is now urging the community to donate blood to help those who may need it. One blood donation has the ability to save up to three lives.
NYBC issued an urgent call for type O+ and O- blood donations just last month. This dangerous shortage is impacting local hospitals and is part of a disturbing national trend, with Type O shortages reported across the U.S. The current inventory of type O blood is the lowest it’s been since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The region continues to struggle with the challenges that accompany the summer months as seasonal travel, school breaks, and a rise in traumatic accidents can strain the blood supply and lead to shortages.
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.
WHEN: Sunday, August 18, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Bilello Residence, 12 Brook Nursery Drive, Brookhaven, NY 11719
WHO: Blood Donors, 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.
About New York Blood Center Enterprises
Founded in 1964, New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) celebrates 60 Years of Extraordinary Lifesaving Research, Innovation and Impact. NYBCe is one of the largest nonprofit, independent, community blood centers in the world. Along with regional divisions Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD), Community Blood Center of Kansas City (CBC), Connecticut Blood Center (CTBC), Memorial Blood Centers (MBC), Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB), and Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC), we collect approximately 4,000 units of blood products each day and serve communities approaching 50 million people in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT), mid-Atlantic area (PA, DE, MD), Kansas City metropolitan area, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Southern New England. NYBCe delivers lifesaving blood products and services as well as clinical, medical, pharmaceutical, testing, and consultative services to over 600 hospitals and dozens of research organizations, academic institutions, and biomedical companies. Among other milestones, our Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute pioneered the Hepatitis B vaccine and patented a solvent detergent plasma process, innovating blood-purification technology world-wide. For more information, visit nybc.org.Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.