Despite the stormy weather, Meridian employees came out in numbers today to donate their blood to help those in need. The blood drive was facilitated by Community Blood Services, which rolled up to the parking lot in its traditional red and white Bloodmobile. Every year, Community Blood Services holds its Teterboro Airport Blood Drive at Meridian. Donors must weigh at least 110 lbs. and must be in generally good health. Each donor received a $5.00 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.
Community Blood Services has been serving the local community’s transfusion medicine needs for more than 50 years. They provide life-saving blood and blood products to hospitals in New Jersey and New York, bone marrow registration and donor services, and public and private umbilical cord blood collection and storage. Their New Jersey Cord Blood Bank is the only public cord blood bank for the State of New Jersey.
A single blood donation can save the lives of three people. Blood can be separated into three components: red cells, platelets and plasma. Each one of these components has a special function. Red blood cells are used to treat patients who are anemic, plasma is used to treat burn victims in shock due to fluid loss and platelets are used to treat patients diagnosed with cancer.
Thanks to everyone who donated.