Donate blood and win a limited edition Essex hat! (Details below.)

If you’ve never donated blood then you may not want to continue reading. Not because it’s scary and awful, but because I’m not sure I know how to convince someone to give it a go.

• Blood Drive: Monday, June 2, from 4-7 pm
• Location: Essex Fire House, Essex, NY

I’ve been donating blood since I was in college, back in the early 1970’s. Maybe the Vietnam War motivated me then, or maybe it was the Red Cross that filled up part of the dining hall with blood draw tables. Maybe it was because my classmates were doing it, so I had to go along too.

Story of a Universal Blood Donor

That’s when I learned I was type O, the universal donor, acceptable to folks with type A, B, AB and O blood types. The blood drive staff eagerly await the arrival of us O-types, knowing our blood can be put to use immediately regardless of the recipient’s blood type.

For a long-time, I kept a little card in my wallet that recorded the dates of each donation. But post-college, moving on in life, changing wallets over time, the card is long gone. When I moved to Willsboro and met the wonderful staff from the North Country Regional Blood Center who regularly visit the Essex and Willsboro Fire Departments I started to keep track again. Now I’m up to 65 pints donated—that’s 8 gallons plus 1 pint. The staff won’t tell you who the long-timers are, but I’m sure you have Essex-Willsboro neighbors who have hit the 100-pint mark.

Local Blood Saves Local Lives

So now, if you’re a non-donor and you have read this far, you’re probably sickened by the thought of so much blood. Not to worry. You don’t have to look, the staff will make you feel very welcome. A short mini-health screening will update you on your blood pressure, pulse and temperature. The donating part only takes 5-10 minutes, tops. When you’re done, you get all the cookies and juice you want. Oh, and your blood will stay in the community and be used by patients at CVPH, Elizabethtown Hospital, or other North Country hospitals. One pint of your blood can save up to four lives. Pretty, cool, huh? Ready to give it a try?

Another Blood Drive in August

If you can’t make tomorrow’s blood drive, then you can try again on Monday August 5 at the Willsboro Fire House from 4-7 pm. Start your list of live-saving donations.

Donate Blood and Win an Essex

In order to entice you donate blood, Essex on Lake Champlain has agreed to reward an embroidered Essex ball cap to a donor who shares their experience in the comments below or posts on the Essex, NY Facebook page. Everyone who donates and comments will be entered in a drawing for the Essex hat. Even better? First-time donors (and lapsed donors) will be entered twice, doubling their odds of winning the hat. (Don’t forget to mention that you’re a first-time or lapsed donor in your comment.)

What do you have to lose? Save four lives and win a hat! Good luck.