NY Blood Center, MTA To Host Annual Drive At Grand Central Terminal

NEW YORK CITY — New York Blood Center and the MTA Metro-North Railroad will be hosting their 13th annual blood drive on Thursday at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall.

The blood drive will run from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and all blood donors will receive a voucher for two tickets to a select 2025 New York Mets home game.

NYBC and MTA Metro-North Railroad's blood drives have collected a total of 3,176 donations over more than a decade, saving the lives of thousands of New Yorkers. The 2025 drive is expected to surpass 3,500 total blood donations, officials told Patch.

NYBC recently issued an urgent call for type O+ and O- blood donations. The current supply of O- blood has dropped to just two days, and overall collections are nearly 20 percent below the level needed to meet hospital demands.

The MTA invites its employees, commuters and the public to give the gift of life by donating blood to ensure the region’s blood supply levels stay on track through the summer months.

Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. To view current eligibility guidelines, visit nybc.org or call 800.688.0900.