Weber Ends 5-Town Blood Drive Challenge; The Winner Is ...

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — After five days — and the Tappan Zee Bridge lit in red to mark the competition — Clarkstown took both the prize for the most blood collected and the prize for the most newly registered Red Cross blood donors in State Sen. Bill Weber's Five Towns of Rockland Blood Drive Challenge.

The Red Cross set a goal of collecting 100 units from the challenge and that goal was exceeded with 111 units of blood collected and 64 first time donors participated across the five towns, Weber said in a news release.

• Clarkstown - 30 units, 18 first time donors
• Orangetown - 27 units, 16 first time donors
• Stony Point - 21 units, 12 first time donors
• Ramapo - 18 units, 11 first time donors
• Haverstraw - 15 units, 7 first time donors

“Only three percent of the population regularly donates blood, so these 64 new donors are helping increase that number," Weber said. "Thank you to everyone who donated, thank you to the supervisors of the five towns for their help in promoting it, and thank you to Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny for personally donating blood. I am overwhelmed by the support we saw from the community and I look forward to making this Blood Drive Challenge an annual event."

The Five Towns of Rockland Blood Drive Challenge was done in partnership with the American Red Cross.

"It's a great honor to have the Town of Clarkstown lead the way in donating the highest number of units and having the most first-time donors participate," said Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann. "Donating blood is a selfless act of charity that truly saves lives and I couldn't be more proud of our residents and town staff who made donations. Thank you everyone who gave and to Senator Weber for organizing this wonderful contest where everyone involved is a winner."