Blood Donors Helping Haiti

One Dollar For Every Donation This Week

NEW YORK, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New York Blood Center (NYBC), serving New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, will donate one dollar to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for each blood donation made from January 25-31.  The funds will be earmarked for Haiti.  In addition, regular donors will be able to designate their points in NYBC's Advantage donor loyalty program to UNICEF's Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

"Blood donors provide the gift of life every time they roll up their sleeves," said NYBC President and CEO Christopher D. Hillyer, MD.  "During the last week of January's National Blood Donor Month, our donors can extend their life-saving gifts to help Haiti's earthquake victims."

NYBC is a member of a nationwide collective assisting the U.S. Armed Services Blood Program Office (ASBPO) handling the direct blood needs in Haiti.  Current supplies are adequate, but since blood has a relatively short shelf life, blood donors are being encouraged to help keep the system robust.

As many as 2,000 people donate blood each day at NYBC's facilities and mobile drives at workplaces, schools, community organizations and houses of worship.  The need for blood supply replenishment is constant.  Hospital use of blood products remains high due to surgeries, emergencies, and care of cancer patients.  Type O negative and Type B negative donors are especially needed.

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive.  

NYBC also offers special community service scholarships for students who organize community blood drives during the winter holiday and summer periods.  Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure, and hemoglobin level.  Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 (with parental permission or consent), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health, and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria.  People age 76 and over may donate with a doctor's note.

About New York Blood Center:  

New York Blood Center (NYBC) is one of the nation's largest non-profit, community-based blood centers. NYBC has been providing blood, transfusion products and services to almost 200 hospitals, serving 20 million people, in greater New York since 1964. 

NYBC is also home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute and the National Cord Blood Program at the Howard P. Milstein National Cord Blood Center, the world's largest public cord blood bank. 

NYBC provides medical services and programs (Clinical, Transfusion, and Hemophilia Services) through our medical professionals along with consultative services in transfusion medicine.

About the "Dollars for Haiti" Initiative:

For each blood donation made from Jan 25 through Jan 31, NYBC will contribute $1.00 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support their relief efforts in Haiti.  Donors are not required to opt-in or use any special group number.

From Jan 25 through Feb 15, donors will also be able to donate Advantage points back to NYBC which will be used to make a contribution to the UNICEF.  This offer is limited to donors who have at least 400 Advantage points available for use (currently 65,000 donors meet this threshold).  Donors can designate any number of points they wish for Haiti relief.   Each point is valued at 6.25 cents.

For more information visit www.redcelladvantage.com or www.plateletadvantage.com

About UNICEF:

UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States.

UNICEF is at the forefront of efforts to reduce child mortality worldwide. There has been substantial progress -- the annual number of under-five deaths dropped from 13 million in 1990 to 8.8 million in 2008. But still, 24,000 children die each day from preventable causes. Our mission is to do whatever it takes to make that number zero by giving children the essentials for a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

SOURCE New York Blood Center