Give Blood, Get Ice Cream: Point Pleasant Beach Shop Offers Treats

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — In an effort to help boost blood donations, a longtime ice cream shop is offering free ice cream to anyone who gives a pint of blood at four upcoming blood drives.

Hoffman's Ice Cream is partnering with New Jersey Blood Services for four “Pint for a Pint” blood drives, beginning Thursday. Each presenting blood donor at these four drives will receive a coupon for a free pint of ice cream. It's a tradition that's been going on for 13 years.

The summer months are always difficult for the blood supply, especially following the 4th of July holiday weekend, when school breaks and summer travel plans make blood donation less of a priority. Hospitals and patients rely upon a steady flow of volunteer donors to receive life-saving blood products, but blood donations still have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. One blood donation has the ability to save up to three lives.

The four blood drives are:

Thursday, July 13, 12:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at Antrim Elementary School, 401 Niblick St, Point Pleasant.

Thursday, July 27, 12:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at Spring Lake Heights Elementary School, 1110 Route 71, Spring Lake

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 12:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Antrim Elementary School

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 12:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Spring Lake Heights Elementary School.

It only takes one hour to donate, and a single donation can save multiple lives. Roughly one in seven hospital admissions require a blood transfusion. Those in need include: cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, newborn babies and their mothers, transplant recipients, surgery patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia, and many more.

To make an appointment at this blood drive, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit this link with the code 63814. Can’t donate blood? You can still support NYBC’s mission by texting ‘NYBC’ to ‘20222’ to give $25.