Massapequa Fire Department Hosting Blood Drive On April 25

MASSAPEQUA, NY — New York Blood Center (NYBC) will be hosting its 14th annual blood drive in memory of Heather Pendergast, the late daughter of former Massapequa Fire Department Chief Tom Pendergast, on April 25 at the Massapequa Fire Department.

Heather was born with Swachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS), a rare inherited, chronic and often fatal disease which affects multiple vital organs. At the age of 30, Heather was diagnosed with breast cancer, an enormous challenge for any adult, but a nightmare for someone with SDS. Heather died in October 2008. She is survived by her parents Penny and Tom.

The blood drive will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Massapequa Fire Department, located at 515 Hicksville Road in Massapequa. To make an appointment for the blood drive, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or click here.

The blood drive will be sponsored by the Heather Pendergast Foundation, which was established by members of Company 1 and 2 of the Massapequa Fire Department in Heather’s memory. The foundation hopes to be able to help other firefighters or EMS volunteers whose children are facing a life-threatening illness or injury, whilst keeping Heather’s memory alive.

NYBC is taking extra precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. As always, people are not eligible to donate if they’re experiencing a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms. Additional information on donor eligibility and COVID-19 precautions is available here.