Mineola Residents Answer Call to Restock Blood Supply

Whether it was the incentive for a pair of Mets tickets or kindness to help the community, more than 40 people showed up on Thursday for an emergency blood drive at the .

The turnout was bigger than in the past, especially during the summer when many residents are away. One of the reasons people said they wanted to donate was to help others who are still struggling after Hurricane Irene.

Although the blood supply was not quite fully depleted, hospitals were overstocked before the storm as a preventative measure and held the drive to refill their inventory. The New York Blood Center said it is imperative to have an ample supply in case of a crisis.

The center received over 70 pints of blood in total from the drive, where at past blood drives held at the library, they usually received about 20 pints.

For more information or to find out when you can donate blood, visit New York Blood Center or call 800-933-2566 to schedule an appointment.

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