EMERGENCY BLOOD NEED ConnectLife appeals to donors as WNY supply hits critical low
- cpfentner
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Diina, 400-7249(c), sdiina@ConnectLife.org
EMERGENCY BLOOD NEED
ConnectLife appeals to donors as WNY supply hits critical low
ConnectLife, Western New York’s only community blood bank, is putting out an emergency appeal to donors as the supply for local hospitals hits a critical low during the slowest time of the year for donations. All blood types are needed, particularly O positive and negative donors.
The typically low turnout at summer blood drives has combined with rising need at Western New York medical centers to create the worsening shortage. Summer collections are usually lower than the rest of the year, but this July has seen donations drop by half compared to the same time in 2025.
“We really need our donors to step up and help Western New York hospitals get through this rough stretch,” Sarah Diina, Senior Director of Communications & External Affairs at ConnectLife. “We usually have hundreds of units of O positive blood on the shelf – it’s the most common blood type and can go to more than half the population. Today, we have just 70. That will be gone in a blink if we see a major emergency in Western New York.”
All July donors will walk away with a $10 Delta Sonic gift card as well as a raffle entry for tickets to a preseason game at the new stadium. Platelet and O negative donors also get e-gift cards as part of extra rewards programs for those donations.
All the blood donated to ConnectLife stays local, helping nearly every hospital in WNY’s eight counties maintain safe inventory levels. Donation appointments are available at centers in Williamsville, West Seneca, and Tonawanda, as well as mobile donation sites around the area each day. To schedule an appointment, visit ConnectLifeGiveBlood.org or call 716.529.4270.
Download this press release below
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ConnectLife helps people help others. As a federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organization and community blood bank, we save and enhance lives through organ, eye, tissue and blood donations.