Last year, more than 8,500 lifesaving blood donations were made by parishioners of the Archdiocese of New York in association with the New York Blood Center (NYBC). These donations impacted more than 25,000 lives throughout New York, New Jersey and parts of Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Having partnered on this important healthcare initiative for several years, Cardinal Dolan remains committed to reaching new heights this year. The blood center recently awarded him and the archdiocese a Blue Flame Award, a top honor given to groups who contributed more than 5,000 blood donations.
The archdiocese, along with NYBC, encourages parishioners to donate blood during February. The recent blizzard, Jonas, caused the blood center to lose nearly 1,200 blood donations due to cancelled drives. “In addition to the storm itself, the three-day buildup affected our turnout dramatically,” said Andrea Cefarelli, executive director of donor recruitment at NYBC. “Everyone was busy prepping for this powerful storm—there was no time to donate blood.”
Below are some archdiocesan-sponsored blood drives planned in February:
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church
Sunday, Feb. 14
1377 E. Main St., Shrub Oak
Annunciation Church
Sunday, Feb. 14
465 Westchester Ave., Crestwood
St. Brendan's Church
Sunday, Feb. 14
333 E. 206th St., Bronx
Sacred Heart Church
Monday, Feb. 15
60 Washington Ave., Suffern
St. Denis Church
Tuesday, Feb. 16
602 Beekman Road, Hopewell Junction
St. Columba’s Church
Friday, Feb. 19
849 Route 82, Hopewell Junction
St. Margaret Mary Church
Sunday, Feb. 21
1128 Olympia Blvd., Staten Island
St. Stanislaus Church
Sunday, Feb. 28
1590 Main St., Pleasant Valley
St. Mary of the SnowChurch
Sunday, Feb. 28
36 Cedar St., Saugerties
Holy Rosary Church
Sunday, Feb. 28
1510 Adee Ave., Bronx
Holy Family Church
Sunday, Feb. 28
2158 Watson Ave., Bronx
NYBC now offers online registration at many blood drives. Donors can fill out their blood drive registration form online before arriving at the actual drive. Assistance is always available for those who need help.