The Giants, American Red Cross, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Fox 5, My9 and WFAN are teaming up to host the Giants Third Annual Blood Drive on Saturday, August 25, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at MetLife Stadium. Every presenting donor will have an opportunity to get their photo taken with the Giants Super Bowl XLVI Trophy and meet a Giants legend. Giants legends scheduled to appear throughout the day include Stephen Baker, Greg Comella, Keith Hamilton, Brian Kelley and Jeff Feagles. The first 1,000 presenting donors will also receive a limited edition Giants T-shirt. Free parking will be available for all donors at this event.
Throughout the day randomly selected attendees will be eligible to win great prizes, including autographed Giants merchandise and recliners courtesy of Bob’s Discount Furniture. Fans will also be able to use the occasion to tour the Giants Legacy Club presented by New York Presbyterian Hospital. The Legacy Club is the Giants’ interactive team museum, which includes artefacts from throughout the team’s history, including a brand new display dedicated to the team’s 2011 championship season. The day will include fun for the whole family, with clowns, face painters and plenty of great refreshments.
Walk-ins are always welcome; however, donors are highly encouraged to schedule an appointment in advance to help eliminate unexpected wait times and to ensure they have ample time for photo opportunities. All current eligible and new donors can schedule an appointment to donate blood by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visiting www.redcrossblood.
With extreme heat keeping some donors at home and severe storms forcing the cancellation of dozens of blood drives earlier in the month, the Red Cross continues to have an emergency need for donors of all blood types. Red Cross blood donations are the lowest they have been in 15 years. Public support from the organization’s late-June appeal helped temporarily stop a decline in the blood supply. However, the mid-week Independence Day and extreme summer weather have contributed to a decrease in donations lately.
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. As the nation’s single largest supplier of blood and blood products, the Red Cross is dedicated to ensuring that every patient who needs a lifesaving transfusion is able to receive one. In fact, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 pints of blood each day to meet the needs of patients at more than 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. It is the blood on the shelves today that helps save lives tomorrow.
