Southold Fire Department and Eastern Long Island Hospital will both hold blood drives in early November.
“From organ transplants to heart surgeries, today’s advanced medical care relies on blood transfusions. When one person donates a unit of blood, it can be separated into individual components to save multiple lives,” says the New York Blood Center.
Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood, according to the Red Cross website. Your blood donation could save someone’s life.
Southold Fire Department’s blood drive will be held Nov. 2 from 10:15 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. Those who donate blood after 5 p.m. will receive free spaghetti dinner and homemade pie.
“The need for all blood types is critical,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Eastern Long Island Hospital’s blood drive is on Nov. 3 from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the conference room. It is just one of three yearly blood drives the hospital holds. Walk-ins are welcome or call 631-477-5100 to schedule an appointment.
Giving blood is a safe and simple process that takes about 45 minutes from the time you walk in to the donation site until you walk out. The actual donation itself takes about 10 to 12 minutes of that time.
Regardless of your blood type, you can donate blood if you are in good health and between the ages of 17 and 75. Sixteen-year-olds can donate with a parent’s written permission. Those over 75 need a doctor’s note to donate. You cannot have gotten a new tattoo in the last 12 months and you must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds.
New York Blood Center’s website says it is in a “platelet emergency” after Hurricane Matthew, which cut off access to platelet donations from across the country.
