Niskayuna blood drive surpasses Red Cross goals

Man with Red Cross representative — State Assemblyman Phil Steck, D- Colonie, left, poses for a photo with an American Red Cross volunteer during a March 17 blood drive at Niskayuna Town Hall. (Photo provided)

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NISKAYUNA — A blood drive hosted by Assemblymember Phil Steck (D-Colonie) at Niskayuna Town Hall on March 17 far exceeded American Red Cross goals, with the drive collecting 37 units of blood.

The final tally surpassed the Red Cross goal by 148%, with the organization noting that the donations made on March 17 will save up to 111 lives in the Capital Region.

“Niskayunians have proved over and over again that when there is a call for action, they respond,” Town Board Member Jason Moskowitz said on Friday. “Their kindness and generosity, and the willingness to give to those in need is what makes our little community so special. I look forward to our next blood drive, which I am hosting in conjunction with the Community Programs Department and the Senior Center on April 10.”

Appointments for the April 10 blood drive can be made by visiting redcrossblood.org and using sponsor code Townofniskayuna.

A third of the donors at the St. Patrick’s Day blood drive were first-time donors, with each blood donation saving as many as three lives.

“It is estimated that every two seconds someone needs a blood transfer, and these donations help to keep us one step ahead,” Steck noted in a statement. “I’m so grateful to the American Red Cross, their amazing staff members and everyone who came out to donate on Friday. We rely heavily on not just the donation of an individual but of an entire community and I’m so proud to represent such an altruistic and giving district. We are our strongest when we work together to support each other.”

After holding a blood drive last April at Colonie Town Hall, Steck reached out to Niskayuna Town Supervisor Jaime Puccioni to host his second annual drive in partnership with the American Red Cross.

The event was aimed at addressing the Capital Region’s blood shortage, with patients including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients and individuals battling cancer and blood disorders in need of blood donations.