Senator Farley Urges Constituents To Donate Blood

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R,C - Schenectady) joins the American Red Cross in urging constituents to donate blood.

"Typically, donations are low in the summertime," Senator Farley explained, "but this year they are dangerously low. Currently, the New York-Penn Region of the Red Cross is asking hospitals to postpone non-emergency transfusions of Type O blood due to the lack of supply. Emergencies happen, though, and we all hope and expect that the blood will be there when we or a loved one needs it. However, the blood will only be there if people take the time to make donations."

Senator Farley explained that donors must be 17 years or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health to donate. It generally takes one hour to donate blood, the Senator added.

The New York-Penn Region, which provides for the blood needs of some 120 hospitals and 53 counties in upstate New York, has been suffering from a terribly low blood inventory for the last several weeks. "American Red Cross Blood Services notes that the ideal situation would be to have a five- to seven-day supply of blood to ensure that it can adequately meet patient needs on a daily basis," Senator Farley reported. "However, this summer our region is experiencing a dangerously low supply level of one- to two-days."

According to the Red Cross website, www.donatebloodnow.org, upcoming local blood drives in Senator Farley's district include:

* Fulton County: Sept. 19th, 1 to 6 p.m., Methodist Church, Main St., Northville.

* Montgomery County: TOMORROW, Aug. 4th, 1 to 6 p.m., Masonic Temple, 34 Division St., Amsterdam; Aug. 10th, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., St. Johns St. Marks Church, 99 Church St., Canajoharie; Aug. 19th, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Liberty complex, 1473 Route 5S, Amsterdam; Aug. 24th, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Reformed Church, 165 Canal Street., Ft. Plain; Sept. 1st, 1 to 6 p.m., Masonic Temple, 34 Division Street, Amsterdam.

* Schenectady County: Aug. 4th, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Blood Drive Center (BDC) Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt Street, Schenectady; Aug. 5th, 6:30 to 11:30 a.m., Bellevue Hospital, Troy-Schenectady Road, Niskayuna; Aug. 6th, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Wall St., Schenectady; Aug. 8th, 2 to 8 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Schenectady; Aug. 10th, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; Aug. 10th, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Living Resources II, 2176 Guilderland Avenue, Schenectady, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Aug. 11th, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; Aug. 12th, 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., Niskayuna Fire Company, 2772 Troy-Schenectady Road, Niskayuna; Aug. 15th, 2 to 8 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Wall St., Schenectady; Aug. 17th, 7 to 2 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; Aug. 18th, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; Aug. 20th, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; Aug. 22nd, 2 to 8 p.m. BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; Aug. 24th, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; Aug. 24th, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Encon, 1150 North Westcott Road, Rotterdam; Aug. 25th, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; Aug. 29th, 2 to 8 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt Street, Schenectady; Aug. 29th, 1 to 6 p.m., UMC Eastern Parkway, 943 Palmer Avenue Schenectady; Aug. 30th, 1 to 6 p.m., Hibernians Hall, 1746 State St., Schenectady; Aug. 31st, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady; and Sept. 1st, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., BDC Crosstown, Route 7 and Watt St., Schenectady.

* Saratoga County: Aug. 5th, 1 to 6 p.m., St. Joseph's Church, 3159 Route 9N, Greenfield Center; Aug. 5th, 1 to 6 p.m., YMCA-Wilton, 20 Old Gick Road, Wilton; Aug. 13th, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Emergency Squad Building, 101 Sherman Avenue, Corinth; Aug. 16th, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., State Military Museum, 61 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs; Aug. 20th, 8 a.m. to noon, St. Thereses Church, 1 Wilton Gansevoort Road, Gansevoort; Aug. 23rd, noon to 6 p.m., Burnt Hills Fire Department, 120 Lake Hill Road, Burnt Hills.

"Most of these blood drives are held before school starts and some are early in the morning or early in the evening so they can accommodate people's work schedules," Senator Farley said. "As the Red Cross adage goes, please give the gift of life."

For more information, or to schedule an appointment to donate, call the Red Cross at (800) GIVE-FREE. Or visit their website at www.donatebloodnow.org.