TOBAY Blood Drive Raises 169 Pints

The Town of Oyster Bay collected 169 pints of blood at its Aug. 4 drive, according to town officials.

“We have always been able to count on town employees and residents to roll up their sleeves for our blood drives, but summer puts a strain on blood donations, so this kind of response is very heartening,” Councilman Joe Muscarella said. “When broken down into component parts, each pint of blood could potentially help save three lives. That translates into 507 people who could benefit from these donations.

Muscarella said he is looking to schedule two blood drives for 2012, the dates for which will appear on the 2012 Town Calendar that is sent to all residents at the end of this year.

If residents missed the town’s most recent blood drive and would like to donate, they can call the New York Blood Center at 1-800-933-BLOOD, or visit www.nybloodcenter.org. Residents are invited to use the town’s group number, 1578, so their donations are added to the town's total.

“Blood donors are heroes,” Muscarella said. “They keep our area’s hospital shelves stocked with lifesaving blood."

The next local blood drive is sponsored by Nassau County Legislator Joe Belisi and will be held Tuesday, Aug. 16 starting at 10 a.m. at