Donate Blood This Holiday Season, Bring Home Hero the Bear

December 20 - 31, 2010

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Volunteer donors who donate blood or platelets from Monday, December 20th through Friday, December 31st at one of Community Blood Services� donor centers or mobile blood drives in New Jersey or New York can take home �Hero the Bear�.

Adorable Hero, a super-soft white or cream-colored stuffed bear wearing a �Hero� button honoring Community Blood Services� blood donors �one hero at a time,� is being offered as a thank you to donors willing to take time out of their busy holiday schedules to donate and help save the lives of patients at their community hospitals.

Donors can call toll free 866-228-1500 or visit www.communitybloodservices.com for hours of operation (New Jersey�s centers will close at 1 p.m. on Christmas and New Year�s eves), and to make an appointment to donate at a mobile blood drive or at the Paramus or Lincoln Park (NJ) or Warwick or New Windsor sites (NY).

Walk-ins are also welcome but appointments must be made to donate platelets. Platelet donations are accepted at the Paramus or Lincoln Park donor centers in New Jersey

�Donating blood or platelets during the holiday season is a wonderful way for donors to give the gift of life and be someone�s hero,� said Patrice Foresman, director of donor recruitment. �Donors can share Hero the Bear with a loved one during this season of giving.�

Foresman noted the blood supply is especially low during the holiday season because donors are busy with holiday shopping, attending events and away on vacation. Wintry weather and donors suffering from colds or flu also can also diminish the blood supply.

Currently, there is less than a one-day supply of blood on the shelves. All blood types are needed in order to meet the needs of patients at area hospitals, especially O negative, O positive, A negative and B negative. Platelets are needed to treat patients diagnosed with cancer or other blood disorders.

Community Blood Services, a not-for-profit organization, provides blood and blood products to more than 30 hospitals in New Jersey and New York.

Whole blood donors must be 17-75 years old (16 years old with parental consent) and weigh at least 110 pounds. When they donate, donors will receive complimentary health screenings, including non-fasting cholesterol and glucose screenings.