Shelter Island blood drive set for Jan. 19

Shelter Islanders will participate in National Blood Donor Month by donating blood on Thursday, Jan.19, when a drive is being held at the Community Center on Bateman Road between 12:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Appointments are preferred, although walk-ins will be accommodated if space provides, according to Judy Meringer, who coordinates the Island’s blood drives,

To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-933-2566.

Donors are reminded to bring identification bearing their name and photograph. Depending on Centers for Disease Control requirements, they may be required to wear masks as COVID-19 variants continue to flare in Suffolk County.

For questions about requirements to donate blood, you can contact Kristen Reutter at the New York Blood Center by emailing her at [email protected].

All donors will receive  a voucher for McDonald’s. But as an extra incentive, they will be entered into a weekly raffle to win a choice of an Apple or Goggle watch. For more information on the raffle, visit nybc.org/sweepstakes.