Roll Up Your Sleeves: NY Blood Center Says Thanks With Festive Shirts

NEW YORK — In celebration of Thanksgiving, the New York Blood Center (NYBC) is giving thanks to blood donors by giving a free, long sleeve t-shirt to every presenting donor at all 19 area donor centers, from Sunday, Nov. 19 to Sunday, November 26.

The NYBC noted that the holiday season is always a tough time for the blood supply, as school breaks, family vacations and holiday travel all contribute to making blood donations less of a priority.

While hospitals and patients rely upon a steady flow of volunteer donors to receive life-saving blood donations, there have been chronic blood shortages nationwide over the past two years. The NYBC said that they have seen a 50 percent decrease in youth donors since before the pandemic.

"We are thankful for our blood donors everyday, but we’re especially grateful for those, who take the time to make the selfless act of donating blood during the busy holiday season," Andrea Cefarelli, Senior VP at NYBC, said. "This month, we are asking all eligible blood donors to celebrate the season of giving by giving the gift of life for their fellow New Yorkers in need. We’ll even throw in a free festive long sleeve t-shirt if you donate at one of our donor centers!"

Blood donors can give every 56 days, while platelet donors can give twice per month. The FDA recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. You can find out more about current eligibility guidelines on the NYBC website or by calling 1-800-688-0900.

To make an appointment for donation, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit the NYBC website. If you can't donate blood, you can still support NYBC’s mission by texting "NYBC" to "20222" to donate $25.