On Sunday, November 12th dozens of individuals came to Meletia Hall in St. Anselm Catholic Academy to take part in the Holy Name Society Blood Drive and by doing so to share the gift of life.
The Sunday event, the third one sponsored by the parish this year, was the fourth drive at St. Anselm’s in which digital registration by laptop completely replaced the use of paper forms. Most donors arrived with a bar-coded blood donor card that had been mailed to them previously by the New York Blood Center. For potential donors, who did not have a donor card, a photo ID (most frequently a driver’s license) was a must, as no one is accepted as a donor without a recognized form of identification.
A simple swipe of the blood donor card over the scanner brought up the donor’s name, who then was able to proceed with updating their “history” since their last donation. Each potential donor then met with a representative of the New York Blood Center to review their medical history, have their blood pressure taken, and have their sugar and iron levels checked.
Donors then had the option to make a regular blood donation or to make an ALEX donation, which takes more time, but allows for the separation of the blood into multiple products. Afterwards, donors stocked up at the “canteen” table on sugars and carbs to bring their blood pressure and sugar levels back up.
Our thanks to Monsignor Maloney for his support of the St. Anselm Blood Drives, and to the many donors, whose commitment to this worthwhile activity, makes it possible for the Holy Name Society to help the New York Blood Center share the gift of life to those in need.
For information about future blood drives in our area contact the New York Blood Center, go to:
The New York Blood Center
1-800-933-BLOOD(2566)
www.nybloodcenter.org
All the best,
The St. Anselm Publicity Committee