This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Mather Hospital Summer Blood Drive

John T. Mather Memorial Hospital will hold its annual summer blood drive on Friday, August 23 from 6:30 am until 6:30 pm. The blood drive is open to all community residents.



No appointment is necessary to donate blood. The blood drive will take place in Conference Rooms 3, 4 and 5. Free valet parking is available to community blood donors at the main hospital entrance.



All successful donors will receive a complimentary gift bag, a chance to win two tickets to the February, 2014 Super Bowl, raffle chances for prizes and a movie ticket along with the rewarding feeling that they made a difference.  Since mid-2008, Mather blood drives have collected more than 1,400 pints of blood, which were used to help 4200 patients.

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.



Summer is a critical time for blood supplies. The season brings an increase in motor vehicle, motorcycle and pedestrian accidents and blood donations drop significantly as people go on vacation and high schools and colleges, which account for 25 percent of regional blood collection, close or on a limited schedule, according to The New York Blood Center. This summer, there is also a documented shortage of O negative blood.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?