Annual Blood Drive In Name Of Nutley Resident Hits Big Milestone

NUTLEY, NJ — An annual blood drive organized in memory of a Nutley resident recently surpassed a big milestone: its 200th donated pint.

Nutley’s 2022 Anne Rotonda Blood Drive was held recently, enabling nonprofit Vitalant to collect an impressive 23 pints of blood from donors.

The drive honors Nutley resident Anne Rotonda, who died last year from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Since its inception in 2013, it has resulted in a total of 200 pints being donated.

“Events like this one that celebrate someone while enabling us to collect blood are so important,” said Rob Hatch, Vitalant’s manager of donor recruitment. “They address a crucial need, while helping preserve the memory of a very special person.”

Meredith Blank, registrar for the Township of Nutley, said Rotonda served as director of Nutley’s Special Young Adults organization for 40 years, “essentially dedicating her life” to the program and the young people it served.

“She’ll always be remembered as Nutley’s Angel,” Blank said.

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