Holiday Heroes Blood Drive

Set For September 1

The American Red Cross will hold a Holiday Heroes blood drive on Friday, September 1, at the United Methodist Church, 94 Church Hill Road, in Sandy Hook.

“Summer is always a difficult time to collect blood,” said Red Cross spokesperson Lynn Townshend. “However, while most of us are enjoying vacations and leisure activities this summer, the need for blood continues. In fact, patients rely on communities and businesses even more because high schools and colleges are closed.”

“It is extremely important that people make time to donate because an hour of your time and a pint of your blood can mean a lifetime to someone else,” she said. “The need for blood never takes a vacation.”

Across the state, an average of 600 units of blood are needed each day to meet the demand of Connecticut’s hospital patients.

The blood drive on September 1 is especially important, according to Leah Banno of the Red Cross Blood Services unit.

“This is the Friday before a holiday weekend – Labor Day,” she said. “It is important that we collect our goal of 600 units going into a holiday because the demand goes up.”

This year the Connecticut region of the American Red Cross is celebrating its 50th anniversary. In June 1950 Danbury hosted the first official blood drive in Connecticut at Danbury Teachers College – not Western Connecticut State University. The state’s first blood donor was the late Robert Hull. Mr Hull, a founder of Hull Funeral Home in Danbury, also was one of the founders of the blood program in Connecticut. He also served as blood services chairman for eight years at the Danbury Red Cross chapter.

To make an appointment to give blood, call toll-free, 800/GIVE-LIFE (800/448-3543).