Donate Blood, Save a Life in Westfield

Blood donations help millions of Americans each year, including those suffering as a result of car accidents or trauma victims.

The Westfield Rescue Squad is hosting a community blood drive on Sunday, June 21, at the squad’s building at 335 Watterson St. in Westfield. The blood drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To donate blood, donors must be in generally good health, meet weight criteria and be at least 17 years of age, or 16 with a signed NJSB parental consent form. Donors must bring identification and are asked to have plenty to eat and drink the day in which they plan on donating blood.

Here are a few facts from the New York Blood Center about blood and the effect blood donations have on recipients of transfusions:

• 4.5 million Americans receive blood transfusions each year.
• 40,000 pints are transfused each day in the United States – to save the lives of cancer patients, accident, burn, and trauma victims, newborn babies, mothers delivering babies, transplant patients, surgery patients and others in need.
• Much of today’s sophisticated medical care (transplants, heart surgeries, etc.) relies on blood transfusions.
• Car accident and trauma victims may need as many as 50 or more red cell transfusions.