It�s Breast Cancer Awareness Month -
Donors Asked to Wear Pink on Fridays!

October 2014

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Community Blood Services is asking its volunteer blood, platelet and plasma donors to wear pink when they come to donate on Fridays throughout October in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual national campaign to increase awareness of the disease.

�While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. The blood center wants to help spread the message regarding the importance of mammograms, which help detect cancer earlier, Along with the need for more funding for breast cancer research,� said Karen Ferriday, director of community affairs at Community Blood Services.

�At the same time we want to remind our donors how important their life-giving donations are to breast cancer patients who might need blood or platelet transfusions during chemotherapy and radiation treatments for their cancer,� Ferriday said.

Noting that breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women, Ferriday said about 1 in 8 women born today in the U.S. will get breast cancer at some point. She said many of those women can survive breast cancer if it�s found through a mammogram screening and treated early.

Donors can call 201-251-3703 or click here to schedule an appointment to make a platelet or blood donation to help breast cancer patients and other seriously ill patients who need transfusions.

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

Community Blood Services provides blood and blood products to more than 18 hospitals in New Jersey and New York, including Hackensack University Medical Center, St. Joseph�s Healthcare System in Paterson and The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.