CRADLE OF AVIATION MUSEUM SPONSORS
BLOOD DRIVE IN RESPONSE TO EMERGENCY

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In response to the recent blood emergency declared by Long Island Blood Services (LIBS), The Cradle of Aviation Museum, located at Charles Lindbergh Boulevard in Garden City, will conduct a special blood drive on Friday, August 22, 2003 from 9:00am to 5:45PM. The drive will be held on the museum's 2ND floor lobby. Each person presenting to donate that day will receive a free ticket to the museum, plus a 50% off coupon on any appetizer at the Tin Alley Grill located at 630 Stewart Avenue in Garden City, and be eligible for raffle prizes.

Long Island is currently under an emergency appeal for blood donations, with less than a two-day supply of critical blood types available. Due to an alarmingly low inventory of blood throughout the metropolitan community and declining donation rates, Long Island Blood Services had to cut shipments of O Negative blood to local hospitals by 35% last month. With supply dwindling quickly, feared deeper and additional cutbacks to hospitals are becoming a reality. This summer's decline in donations is more severe than in the past, with the community blood supply 50% less than it was at the same time last year.

"We have seen 25% fewer donors in recent weeks. New blood donor criteria have resulted in increased donor deferrals, and we suspect the local economic downturn has also dampened donor enthusiasm. But the reality is blood is perishable and without new donors replacing those lost, we cannot ensure an adequate supply of blood will be available or that hospitals will have the blood they need on their shelves to provide quality patient care," says Dr. James Louie, LIBS' Executive Director. "More than 750 donations are needed daily for patients in close to 50 Long Island hospitals, and right now we simply have no safety net. Import sources are not readily available in the summer, so we are pleading with local eligible people to roll up their sleeves to donate."

Blood donors must be age 17-75, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, be in good general health and not have donated in the last 56 days. Donors also receive a free mini medical exam on site. For more information about this and other blood drives, call IDA at 516-572-4012.

Long Island Blood Services is a division of New York Blood Center, the nation's largest community-based non-profit blood collection and distribution organization. Long Island Blood Services has been providing life-saving blood products and services to 50 hospitals throughout Nassau, Suffolk and Queens for close to 40 years.