In the month and a half since Sandy hit New York City, residents of New York, Long Island, Hudson Valley, and New Jersey went through 6,000 units of blood provided by the New York Blood Center (NYBC). Stores are low, but the need for blood has not abated, and NYBC desperately needs more donors to replenish their supply.
“We anticipated some of the potential effects of Hurricane Sandy and delivered blood in advance to our 200 partner hospitals,” Vice President of NYBC Rob Purvis said. “Our first priority remains getting them whatever they need for the care of patients, including surgeries that had to be delayed. Plus—with the holiday season right around the corner—we’re in a tough spot. We need the help of our communities to recover and replenish the supply.”
And where NYBC has asked, New York Combat Sambo has responded wholeheartedly. Appealing to martial artists in the NYC area, New York Combat Sambo is asking them to do the honorable thing and donate blood to help others. The group has decided to hold a blood drive on December 27th, 2012, from 3 PM to 9 PM.
New York Combat Sambo has a goal of thirty donors, a modest amount for a community that’s surely much larger in NYC. They are calling on those with or without fighting training, anyone with a desire to help their community. Donors will also be offered a free simple medical examination, as well as small tokens of appreciation for donors on a first-come-first-served basis.
For those that want to help, this is a great way to do so. And for those of those that, for whatever reason, cannot donate, New York Combat Sambo simply asks that the message be passed on to other New Yorkers by word of mouth or social media.