Blood Drive Makes Commack Stop

On Tuesday, the The New York Blood Center van pulled into the Commack Post Office allow residents to make whole blood donations though its walk-in service.

The blood from these donations is tested in a facility in Westbury and then transferred to hospitals in New York City, state and New Jersey, according to Sean Mann, a donor specialist at the van.

Donor specialists are full-time employees who work in the vans and at other NY Blood Center collection locations. According to Mann, these vans generally have appointments lined up for the day they are scheduled to visit, but sometimes people come in from the street as well.

"It's very convenient, however limited space. We only have five beds, and because we can't set up in a mail room that's the maximum donors we can handle at a time. Normally we get 25-30 donors in a visit," Mann said.

Resident Elizabeth Opas saw the van on her way to buy pet food.

"It's important to donate blood, it helps people. I was driving by; I donated last time they were here, it's very convenient. I like the vans, you just show up. I'm O positive, so my blood can help a lot of people," Opas said.

Blood donation vans only accept whole blood donations, Mann explained, while on-site locations can also accept platelets and alyx donations. Alyx donations can be taken three times a year and they separate the red blood cells from the plasma and white blood cells, giving those back to the donor, and only collecting the red blood cells. Whole blood donations can be made up to 5 times per year.

The van will be stationed outside of the Commack Post Office today, until 4:30 p.m., but they will also be collecting blood at Commack Volunteer Ambulance on Burr Road on July 8 from 3:00-9:00 p.m.