Give the Gift of Life at Community Blood Services -
Help Prevent Holiday Blood Shortages!

December 23 & 24, 26 & 27

�

Community Blood Services is asking volunteer blood, platelet and plasma donors to consider giving the gift of life by donating blood this holiday season to help ensure that patients who need life-giving transfusions can spend the holidays with their families.

Thanks to the generosity of past blood and platelet donors, Shayne, Eleanor and Hayley are among many local children and adults who this year are able to celebrate the holidays with their families. All three needed transfusions during their treatments � Shayne for leukemia, Eleanor for bone cancer and Hayley for heart disease.

�It�s important to remember that the need for blood doesn�t take a holiday at this time of the year,� said Karen Ferriday, community affairs director at Community Blood Services. �In fact, the need is more crucial than ever because many donors go on vacation and there are fewer blood drives at this time of the year.�

Ferriday is urging donors to schedule their lifesaving appointments in the next few weeks to help offset the blood shortages that typically occur at this time of year by clicking here or calling 201-251-3703. She noted that the center is offering several promotions to thank those donors who take time out of their busy holiday schedules to donate.

On Monday, December 23 and Tuesday, December 24 the center will offer a Shop Rite gift card to donors at its Paramus and Lincoln Park donor centers. Donors who donate on those days at the Montvale donor room will receive a Fresh Market gift card. On Thursday, December 26 and Friday, December 27 donors will receive an Outback gift card at the Paramus and Montvale locations. Click here for locations and hours.

Donors also will be entered into a raffle for a 32-inch LG LED TV. The winner will be chosen on January 6.

�The blood we collect from our donors stays in our community to serve patients in our community hospitals. We don�t ship it elsewhere,� Ferriday noted. She said Type O negative. Type O negative blood, the universal blood type which can be transfused to patients with any blood type, is especially in demand at this time of year. Platelets for cancer patients and A and AB male plasma to treat bleeding disorders and for trauma victims are also needed.

Community Blood Services, a not-for-profit blood center, supplies blood and blood products for patients in more than 18 local hospitals in the region. It is the sole supplier to Hackensack University Medical Center, Pascack Valley Hospital and St. Joseph�s Regional Medical Center, and the primary supplier to many others.