The Monthly Blood Drive in West Milford
Partners With Community Blood Services

September 15, 2013

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WEST MILFORD, NJ - Representatives of Community Blood Services and the Monthly Blood Drive in West Milford have announced that Community Blood Services will be collecting whole blood, platelets and plasma at the long-running, award-winning drive in Passaic County.

Dr. Jerrold Grossman, PhD, Chairman of the Board at Community Blood Services, remarked, �We are very excited about the prospect of working with the Monthly Blood Drive donors and volunteers. Their model for community blood drives has been replicated across New Jersey for many years and we look forward to helping them help others for years to come.�

The Monthly Blood Drive will be held on the third Sunday of each month from 8:30 to 2 p.m. beginning on Sept. 15 at the First Aid Squad Building, 605 Ridge Road. No appointments are required for whole blood donations and welcome early birds and first-time donors are welcome. Those wishing to make platelet or plasma donations should meet with Jim during the September Monthly Blood Drive so their donations can be scheduled for the October Monthly Blood Drive.

Eligible donors should be 17 years old (or 16 with parental permission). All donors should eat a good meal before donating and bring their ID.

Call 973-728-4251 with any questions about the Monthly Blood Drive and �Like� the Monthly Blood Drive on Facebook.

The first session of the Monthly Blood Drive was held in June 1999. Since then it has been recognized by local, county state and professional blood collection organizations for its continued success. The Monthly Blood Drive was honored in 2006 by America�s Blood Centers with The Larry Frederick Award for outstanding service to the community.

Blood and blood products collected at the Monthly Blood Drive and at other Community Blood Services� collection sites are used by patients in more than 18 hospitals and trauma centers in New Jersey and New York. In addition to whole blood, donors can donate platelets (used for cancer patients, open heart surgery and organ transplants), double red cells (used for surgical patients and anemia) and plasma (used for trauma and burn victims and blood disorders).

According to Jim Gilligan, founder and chairman of the Monthly Blood Drive, what makes Community Blood Services� efforts standout is its desire to not only collect blood but to keep the donors involved in the process after the needle is removed from their arms.

�Community Blood Services has several programs for recruiting specific types of donors, such as the Special Delivery Club to meet the needs of the tiniest hospital patients and the MVP (Most Valuable Plasma) donor club so that lifesaving plasma can be collected for trauma and burn victims,� Gilligan noted.

�Every type of donation is appreciated but Community Blood Services has a �smart� collection model that tries to meet the needs of the population it serves. Blood is always in short supply so an efficiently managed collection system makes every donation that much more valuable," added Gilligan.