Metro-North and the New York Blood Center hope hundreds of people, employees and customers alike, will decide to make a difference on Monday by visiting to the “donation station” in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall and donating blood.  The New York Blood Center will also be enrolling people in good health, between the ages of 18 -44, in its bone marrow registry. The registry helps patients fight blood cancers and immune deficiencies by connecting them with a donor match.

 

“At last year’s blood drive at Grand Central Terminal, the New York Blood Center collected 867 units of blood,” said Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti. “We join the New York Blood Center in thanking those Metro-North customers and employees who donated blood for their generosity and compassion, and we look forward to making this year’s drive even more successful.”

 

As a gift of gratitude, the first 250 presenting donors will receive a pair of tickets to the New York vs Toronto baseball game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, May 26 (*New York Yankee tickets terms and conditions apply).

 

One person’s donation has the power to potentially save multiple lives because whole blood is separated into components including red blood cells and plasma. It takes less than an hour to fill out the forms necessary to donate.

 

Donors are advised to bring identification with a photo or signature and eat well and drink fluids before donating blood.  Juice and cookies are provided free after donation.

 

Blood donors will receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, blood pressure and hematocrit (iron) level. Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 (with parental permission or consent), who weigh at least 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria.