NY Blood Center Pleads For Donations As 'Summer Trauma Season' Nears, Collections Fall

RYE, NY — The New York Blood Center is urging New Yorkers to donate blood ahead of Memorial Day weekend, saying the region is entering the summer "trauma season" with collections running well below hospital demand. The organization said donations are down nearly 15 percent, or about 4,500 fewer donations than needed across the region.

The appeal comes as Memorial Day weekend approaches, a period when donations often drop because of travel, vacations, school breaks and holiday activities. NYBC said the shortfall follows a difficult winter season and a spring that did not bring the rebound expected. Without an immediate increase in donations, the region could enter blood emergency territory in the coming weeks, according to the organization.

"This is one of the more challenging starts to summer we've seen in recent years," said Jeannie Mascolino, Vice President of Operations, New York Blood Center. "We are already thousands of donations behind where we would typically like to be heading into Memorial Day weekend, a time when donations often decline further. Continued donor support in the coming weeks will be critical to helping hospitals maintain a stable blood supply for patients who depend on transfusions every day."

NYBC said hospitals typically see more serious injuries and emergency procedures during the summer months because of increased travel, outdoor recreation and holiday activity. Trauma patients can require dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of blood transfusions in a matter of hours. In New York State, more than 56,000 traumatic injuries are reported each year, according to the announcement, with many occurring on weekends and during the summer months.

To encourage donations during the holiday week, NYBC said people who donate at any donor center or blood drive between Wednesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 27 will receive a packable picnic blanket. Memorial Day weekend also marks the start of the center's "Be the Reason Summer Feels Brighter" campaign, a seasonal effort focused on maintaining a stable blood supply through the summer.

The blood center said updated FDA guidance may mean more people are now eligible to donate. Whole blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month, according to the organization.

Potential donors can check eligibility rules, make an appointment or find donation locations at the NYBC website or by calling 1-800-933-2566. NYBC also said people who cannot donate blood can support its work through financial contributions or volunteer service.