After 12 years, my annual Lifesavers Blood Drive is still going strong, and it’s thanks to the efforts and generosity of Central New Yorkers. With your help, we were able to have our most successful drive to date, with a record 182 units of blood donated – that’s almost 20 units more than last year!

This is an incredible feat, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out on July 17 to donate blood and the over 50 local businesses that sponsored promotions for participants. I also want to thank the tireless American Red Cross – Central NY Chapter volunteers and supporters who helped us put this event together from start to finish. I hope that the Lifesavers Blood Drive continues to serve as a local tradition, with every year seeing more donors than the last.

The demand for blood is constant. Nearly 36,000 units of blood are needed every day in the U.S.[1] And, unfortunately, red blood cells only have a shelf life of 42 days.[2] In addition to lending an arm, it’s also critical that we raise awareness so more people know how important blood donation really is.

One of the ways that local businesses and organizations are raising awareness is by participating in the Red Cross “Missing Type Movement” campaign. The next time you’re out and about, you may notice signs missing the letters “O,” “A” and “B.” The campaign looks to remind people of the need for blood donations and highlight how in-demand these blood types are.

If you couldn’t make it out to this year’s Lifesavers Blood Drive or know someone interested in donating, you can contact the Central New York Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS (733-2767) or visit tinyurl.com/blood-drivenearyou

And if you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to call my office at 315-452-1115. With another successful event in the books, let’s strive to make next year’s Lifesavers Blood Drive even bigger and better and remember that blood is needed year-round.

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[1] redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help/blood-needs-blood-supply.html

[2] well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/the-shelf-life-of-donor-blood