STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The holiday season is always a difficult time for the blood supply, as school breaks and holiday travel make blood donations less of a priority, so the New York Blood Center is hoping to encourage donations by providing festive holiday socks to every donor.
The promotion will be available from Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, through Tuesday, Jan 2, 2024, for all donors at any of the region’s centers or blood drives.
“It’s no secret that the most wonderful time of the year in New York City is the holiday season, and this year we are giving away festive socks to show our gratitude for the New Yorkers who have made blood donation a habit in their daily lives,” said Andrea Cefarelli, senior vice president at New York Blood Center (NYBC). “We hope this small token of our appreciation encourages our blood donors to come out and spread holiday cheer by making an appointment to give the gift of life this December. While you’ll never know who you saved, your blood donation will have an immense impact — it’s the greatest gift of all.”
Hospitals and patients rely upon a steady flow of volunteer donors to receive life-saving blood donations, but the past two years have brought chronic blood shortages nationwide. NYBC has seen a 50% decrease in youth donors since before the pandemic.
Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. The Food and Drug Administration recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines, visit nybc.org or call 800-688-0900.
To make an appointment, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit nybc.org. Can’t donate blood? You can still support NYBC’s mission by texting ‘NYBC’ to ‘20222′ to give $25.
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