Please donate blood

WHO: The Blood Center of New Jersey
WHEN: February 5, 2011, 9am to 2pm
WHERE: Morrow Memorial Church, 600 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, NJ 07040

Please come and donate blood. If you've never done it before, please consider doing so.

If you have questions about what it's like, please ask here or poke around the website to see if there are answers to your questions. It will tell you if you're qualified to donate, if it's safe, and all that.

http://www.bloodnj.org/

I give blood as often as I can. I find it to be painless, and it does not make me tired afterwards. In fact, I never feel any after-effects. Some people do feel a bit weak or tired for a while, but it's not guaranteed that you will. Only you can decide if it's worthwhile.

There are frequent blood shortages, and we could eliminate them if we all pitched in. I suspect people just don't give it thought. It costs nothing, only takes a little time, and it makes a difference. If you're short on cash, this is one way to help people without costing you any money. It's a real contribution to your community.

I used to be a bit fearful of the pain. There are two pricks: one to the fingertip and one into the arm vein. Most of the nurses who do the pricks are highly skilled and know how to do them without causing pain. I've learned over time not to fear them, which has made them feel like the most routine sensations. Once you know what to expect, it's no big deal at all. And pain really shouldn't be an obstacle to donating. The pain ranges from very minor to completely unnoticeable. The benefit, however, is much bigger than any of the pain. So please think about donating!

Children as young as 16 can now donate! This is new, and I think it's a wonderful opportunity for teenagers to serve their community.

As you can tell, I'm passionate about this. I'll be happy to tell you more if you'd like.

Thank you.

Tom Reingold
Maplewood, NJ