New York Blood Center and the New York Yankees Celebrate 20 Years of Partnership with Pre-Game Ceremony Honoring Student Blood Donors

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The New York Yankees and New York Blood Center will celebrate twenty years of partnership at tonight's home plate ceremony shortly before the 7:05 p.m. home game at Yankee Stadium. The ceremony will thank the dedicated high school students who have organized blood drives during the summer months, when donations are typically low. Student representatives from 25 area high schools will be in attendance. Both the one-millionth student donor and her high school will receive recognition during the ceremony.

The New York Yankee High School Blood Donor Championship began in 1995 as a way to motivate students in the metro-area to give the gift of life while encouraging peers to do the same. About 500 area high schools host blood drives with NYBC each year, and these student-run blood drives play an important role in maintaining the community's blood supply. The one-millionth donor is a senior at Staten Island Technical High School and a blood donation advocate who has helped organize several blood drives.

"The New York Yankees value our partnership with the New York Blood Center and are proud that our combined efforts and commitment over the past twenty years have motivated high school students, staff, and administrators throughout New York and New Jersey to donate in excess of one million life-saving units of blood," stated Brian Smith, Senior Vice President of the Corporate/Community Relations Department at the New York Yankees.

"The Yankees have been an incredible partner for the past twenty years, and it is exciting to reach both milestones in the same year," said Andrea Cefarelli, Executive Director of Donor Recruitment at New York Blood Center. "We are proud to be celebrating our high school blood donation ambassadors tonight. While school was out of session, these students stepped up to support our community's blood supply."

New York Blood Center awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to students each year. NYBC is a proud participant in the Bloodstock® Scholarship program, which encourages and rewards students who organize blood drives in their communities. Students work closely with NYBC Account Managers and learn valuable marketing, organizational and leadership skills. Students and parents interested in scholarship opportunities should call NYBC at (800) 933-BLOOD for more information.

A single blood donation can be used to save multiple lives. Donors with O-negative blood type, or "universal donors," are especially encouraged to donate, as their blood can be used in emergencies. Nearly 2,000 donations are needed each day in New York and New Jersey alone. About one in seven hospital admissions requires a blood transfusion, and with a limited shelf life, supplies must be continually replenished.

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive. Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, blood pressure and hematocrit level. Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 (parental consent is required for 16-year-olds), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. People age 76 or older may donate if they have a doctor's note on file with New York Blood Center or if they bring one on the day of the blood drive.

About New York Blood Center (NYBC)
Now more than 50 years old, New York Blood Center (NYBC) is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the country. NYBC's mission is to serve the 20 million people in the New York metropolitan area—and more broadly, our nation and our world—by alleviating human suffering and preserving human life. 

Each year, NYBC provides approximately one million blood products to nearly 200 hospitals in the Northeast. NYBC also provides a wide array of transfusion-related medical services. NYBC is also home to the world's largest public cord blood bank, which provides stem cells for transplant in many countries, and a renowned research institute, which – among other milestones – developed the Hepatitis B vaccine and innovative blood purification technology.

Website:  www.nybloodcenter.org

New York Blood Center Contact:    
Victoria O'Neill
PRCG | Haggerty
[email protected]
(212) 683-8100

New York Yankees Contact:
[email protected]
(718) 579-4460

SOURCE New York Blood Center

Related Links

http://www.nybloodcenter.org