De Blasio, Bellone Urge People To Give Blood Following Blizzard Shortfall
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday put out a call for blood donations Wednesday, after a major shortfall that came as a result of the snowstorm this week.
"New York City's blood supply is experiencing a shortage due to cancellations related to inclement weather," the mayor said in a statement. "I urge healthy New Yorkers to help us rebuild our blood bank and set aside less than one hour of their time to donate blood—it's not painful, you will get a free basic medical exam, and most importantly, you can help save many lives."
The mayor advised that anyone interested in donating should call (800) 933-BLOOD or visit nybloodcenter.org. The New York Blood Center is in need of help from people of all blood types.
The area's blood supply is typically low this time of year, and the storm has made matters worse, Harvey Schaffler with the New York Blood Center told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond on Tuesday.
"It's the largest loss of blood drives and related blood donations since Sandy. Basically, people are home and dealing with the effects of the storm and blood donation is not yet back on the mind," he said.
The storm forced the cancellation of an estimated 3,000 scheduled donations in the area. Three thousand pints of blood is enough to give transfusions to 6,000 people.