8 JANUARY 21, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Mets fan flock to special blood drive
at the Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMAN
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
With the support of the New
York Blood Center, the New
York Mets held their semiannual
Fan Blood Drive at fi ve diff erent
Queens locations, including one at
the Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale, on
Thursday, Jan. 14.
The Fan Blood Drive normally
takes place at the Met’s home in City
Field, but due to COVID-19 social
distancing guidelines, the organization
resorted to smaller locations
throughout the borough to control
crowd size.
About 150 donors pre-registered
for the blood drive at the Shops at
Atlas Park, where Pet Supplies Plus
was formerly located.
Armando Echeverry, account
manager with the New York Blood
Center, explained that individuals
had their temperature taken upon
entering the space and had to answer
questions related t0 COVID-19 before
proceeding to their triage-like station
where they provided further
information about their medical
history.
Echeverry noted that the New
York Blood Center’s supply was dangerously
low since nearly all high
schools, colleges, offices and other
community groups had to cancel
their mobile blood drives because
of the pandemic. He stressed that
the center is in urgent need of blood
and that the shortage jeopardizes 75
percent of incoming blood supply.
When asked by QNS what he
thought of the Mets’ blood drive, Echeverry
chuckled and said, “Through
thick and thin, I’m a Mets fan. The
drive says a lot about the organization
and that they care about people,
especially when it’s time to step up.
Queens residents donate blood at the Mets semi-annual Fan Blood Drive on Jan. 14, 2021.
Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
We never know when we are going to
need blood, and if the blood supply
runs low, that is not a good thing. I’m
very happy tat the Mets are doing
this.”
For Mary Burford, a Mets fan from
Forest Hills, donating blood was her
way to contribute to the community
during the ongoing pandemic.
“There is not much that I can do,”
Burford said. “I’m not a health care
worker and I have the privilege of
being able to work from home. So, I
just want to do something.”
Those who donated received a
voucher for a pair of tickets to see
the Mets, a free limited-edition fan
T-shirt and an entry into a sweepstakes
for signed memorabilia.
In a previous statement by Andrea
Cefarelli, senior executive director
of recruitment and marketing for
the New York Blood Center, said that
although it’s a new year, “the challenges
presented by the pandemic
still very much exist.”
“The vaccine has shown us a light
at the end of the tunnel, but we
need New Yorkers to come together
to help build and sustain the blood
supply,” she said “We’re grateful
to the Mets for their support and I
encourage all eligible New Yorkers
— Yankees fans included! — to come
out and give.”
While mobile blood donations are
on hold for the time being, individuals
who are interested in donating
can find New York Blood Center locations
at www.nybloodcenter.org.
Additional reporting by Angélica
Acevedo.
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