FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Diina, 400-7249(c), sdiina@ConnectLife.org
DONORS NEEDED!
ConnectLife asks Western New York to take the “Platelet Promise”
Even among the exclusive club of blood donors, those who give platelets are rare. Those lifesaving heroes come in as many as 24 times a year to make sure platelets are available for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, burn victims, and those with bleeding disorders. And in the month of March, ConnectLife is on a mission to make sure more are available for Western New York hospitals.
March is the “Platelet Promise” month at ConnectLife – an effort to educate the public about the importance of platelets and celebrate those who come in to donate. That’s because, for several reasons, the platelet supply can be very hard to maintain:
Platelets only have a shelf life of five days, so they can’t be “stocked up” for times of greater need.
Platelet donations take two hours, so it can be difficult to find donors with enough time to give.
Platelet donations require a large, specialized machine that can’t be taken to most mobile blood drives.
All month, ConnectLife donation centers and their workers will be decked out in yellow and focused on educating people who may have questions about donating platelets. Those who do donate platelets that month will get double rewards points in the ConnectLife donor store. Platelet donors will also be entered into a weekly $50 Amazon gift card raffle alongside the $10 e-gift card all platelet donors receive with every donation. And there’s a special gift in store for the exclusive group of donors with 12 platelet donations in a calendar year.
This is all alongside the monthly rewards for all donors: those 21 and up will get buy one, get one free coupons for any Fattey Beer location, and everyone will be entered into weekly Amazon gift card raffles regardless of age.
All the blood donated to ConnectLife stays local, helping nearly every hospital in WNY’s eight counties maintain safe inventory levels. Platelet donation appointments are available at centers in Williamsville, West Seneca, Tonawanda
and Lockport. To schedule an appointment, visit ConnectLifeGiveBlood.org or call 716.529.4270, and read more about the Platelet Promise at ConnectLife.org/Platelet-Promise.
Download this press release below.
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ConnectLife helps people help others. As a federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organization
and community blood bank, we save and enhance lives through organ, eye, tissue and blood donations.