Volunteer Blood Donors Needed Over Memorial Day Weekend!
Help Replenish the Supply, Get a Stop & Shop Gift Card

May 25 to 27, 2012

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Community Blood Services urges donors to make a lifesaving blood, platelet or plasma donation at one of its donor centers in New Jersey on Memorial Day weekend to ensure there is lifesaving blood on the shelves for the seriously ill or injured patients who need it.

Volunteer donors will get a complimentary Stop & Shop Gift card for taking time out of their busy holiday schedules to donate on Friday, May 25; Saturday, May 26; or Sunday, May 27. The centers are closed on Monday, May 28.

Donors can visit www.communitybloodservices.com or call 201-251-3703 to make an appointment or for hours on Friday, Saturday or Sunday at the Paramus donor center (970 Linwood Avenue West) or on Saturday at the Lincoln Park donor center (63 Beaverbrook Road, Suite 304). Walk-ins are also welcome but appointments are needed to donate platelets.

Donations traditionally begin dropping starting Memorial Day weekend, and continue to drop throughout the summer months, according to Karen Ferriday, director of community affairs at Community Blood Services. That�s because high school blood drives, which provide about 10% of the blood supply, begin to wind down for the summer and participation at corporate blood drives starts declining because employees are on vacation, she explained.

In addition, individual volunteer donors also don�t donate as frequently during the summer because of their busy holiday and vacation schedules, Ferriday said, noting a decrease in donors can seriously impact the blood supply. She said all blood types are needed, particularly Type O negative, the �universal blood type that can be used by any patient, as well as platelet donors to treat patients with cancer and other blood disorders.

Whole blood donors must be 17-75 years of age (16 years old with parental consent) and weigh at least 110 pounds. All donors receive health screenings with their donation, including non-fasting glucose and cholesterol screenings.

Community Blood Services is a not-for-profit organization that provides blood and blood products to more than 20 hospitals in New Jersey and New York.