Blood Drives in honor of the victims of 9-11

From the Staten Island Advance, our home town paper:  Here is what you need to know for 9-11 blood drives

 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - With the approaching ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Borough President James P. Molinaro is again joining with New York Blood Services to launch a series of blood drives to honor those who perished at the World Trade Center.

Molinaro's goal is to bring in a pint of blood for each of the 274 Staten Island victims of 9/11. The drive exceeded its goal last year, drawing 447 pints.

This year, Borough Hall wants to top 500.

"If you've got blood and you want to give it, we want it," Molinaro said at the "Postcards" 9/11 memorial on the St. George waterfront.

From Sept. 1 through Sept. 11, there will be 12 blood drives throughout the borough. This marks the seventh year that Borough Hall has held the commemorative blood drives.

"To be able to honor those precious people lost on 9/11 is invaluable," said Michael Leviton, business development manager of New York Blood Services.

The commemorative blood drives are a way for blood donors who live and work on the Island to give back to the community through blood donations, said Miranda McAuliffe, who leads the borough blood campaigns for Brooklyn/Staten Island Blood Services.

"Individuals are able to honor friends and family members while helping to save the lives of patients in need of blood and blood products," she said.

Borough Hall environmental staffer Nicholas Dmytryszyn began donating platelets when his father fell ill with lung cancer in 1993.

"It's almost like you're passing along something you take for granted," he said.

Where and when

You can give blood to honor the memory of Staten Islanders lost on 9/11 at the following locations:

* Sept. 1: Staten Island Physician Practice, 1050 Clove Rd., Sunnyside, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the Institute for Basic Research, 1050 Forest Hill Rd., Willowbrook, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

* Sept. 2: Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home, 460 Brielle Ave., Sea View, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Sept. 4: YMCA South Shore, 3939 Richmond Ave., Eltingville, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

* Sept. 7: The borough police precincts will host the following drives: 120th Precinct, 78 Richmond Terr., St. George, from noon to 6 p.m.; 122nd Precinct, 2320 Hylan Blvd., New Dorp, from noon to 6 p.m., and 123rd Precinct, 116 Main St., Tottenville, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Sept. 8: Richmond County Civil Court, 927 Castleton Ave., West Brighton, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Bridge Financial Group, 2 Teleport Dr., Bloomfield, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and PS 29, 1581 Victory Blvd., Castleton Corners from noon to 6 p.m.

* Sept. 10: Borough Hall, 10 Richmond Terr., St. George, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

* Sept. 11: Woodbrooke Community Estates, 281 Grafe St., Rossville, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 Full article can be found on the Staten Island Advances site:  www.silive.com, here.