Blood Drive Monday To Commemorate Beloved Deli Owner

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The New York Blood Center will host a blood drive Monday in West Haverstraw in memory of Anthony Apostolico, a beloved father, business owner and community member who died on Fathers Day in a freak accident.

Apostolico owned and ran the Italian Food Center in northern Rockland County for decades. He was driving on the Palisades Parkway June 19, headed home to Chester from the deli with two of his children, when a large tree fell onto the road and crushed their pickup truck. The 48-year-old died at the scene and both kids were hospitalized.

Apostolico was an extraordinarily generous person, blood drive organizer Margi Chapman of West Haverstraw told Patch. The retired teacher recalled when she was running school dances at James A. Farley Middle School in Stony Point that Apostolico always donated the food.

"He had the most infectious smile," she said. "You could be in the worst mood and walk into that deli, he would say hi and smile and it brightened up the world."

Chapman said this is the ninth local blood drive she has organized, and she's always tried to find someone to honor or thank — but this is special.

The Apostolicos are extended family, she said, recalling the terrible day. "When I heard the news from a friend I was in shock."

Blood donors are encouraged to sign up to donate at this blood drive in his memory, as the region continues to suffer from an ongoing blood shortage. One blood donation has the ability to save up to three lives.

The NYBC taking extra precautions to help prevent the person-to-person spread of viruses. As always, people are not eligible to donate if they’re experiencing a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms.

WHEN: Monday, September 19, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: Village of West Haverstraw, 130 Samsondale Avenue, West Haverstraw, NY 10993

WHY: 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. Can’t donate blood? You can still support NYBC’s mission by texting ‘NYBC’ to ‘20222’ to give $25.