FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 21, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 23
Mets fan fl ock to special blood drive in Glendale
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMAN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
With the support of the New York
Blood Center, the New York Mets held
their semi-annual Fan Blood Drive at
five different 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 Mets’ 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 triagelike
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. 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 that 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.
health
Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
Queens residents donate blood at the Mets’ semi-annual Fan Blood Drive
on Jan. 14, 2021.
Free Mets swag awaits donors at the semiannual
blood drive in Queens.
/WWW.QNS.COM
/www.nybloodcenter.org
link
/www.nybloodcenter.org
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