Be a donor and help save lives.

Date: August 10, 2015
Time: 11 am - 3 pm

Place: Gale Toyota
50 Palomba Drive
Enfield, CT 06082

Gale Toyota is proud to sponsor the Baystate Health Blood Donor Mobile in support of the never-ending need to maintain adequate blood supplies for Baystate Health hospitals and facilities. The Blood Drive will take place on Monday, August 10th between 11am and 3pm at Gale Toyota, located at 50 Palomba Drive in Enfield, CT. As a special "thank you" for participating, every eligible donor will receive a ticket to the Big E ("New England's Great State fair" for any newcomers out there.) This year's celebration will take place from September 18ththrough October 4th in West Springfield, MA. For more Big E info, visit www.thebige.com.

Blood drives typically see fewer people making donations during the summer months. People are busy, people take vacation time, and yet the demand for blood to supply hospitals usually goes up. More outdoor activity, more work around the house and more driving can result in more accidents requiring hospital care. Did you know a person who has suffered severe injuries in an automobile accident might require up to 50 units of blood?

Donors with all blood types are needed, especially "universal donors" with type "O" blood that can be used to transfuse patients with type "A" or type "B" or type "AB" blood. Type "O" negative blood can be used to transfuse patients with ANY blood type so it is extremely useful in emergencies when the patient's blood type is not known. Type "O" positive blood can be used to transfuse patients with positive types of blood. This, too, is important because 80 out of 100 people have positive types of blood. Nearly half of all blood ordered by hospitals is type "O" which makes it challenging to keep up with the demand. At Baystate Medical Center, over 6,500 patients receive more than 22,000 transfusions of blood products each year. Blood is perishable and has a limited shelf life, so there's always a need for donors of all blood types.

Appointments are encouraged and preferred so we can fill every one of our available time slots. Walk-ins are welcome to fill openings in the schedule.

To make an appointment, contact Mark Marschall at Gale Toyota at 1-860-741-3761 or fill out the form below.

Those wishing to give blood are asked to give themselves at least 56 days between blood donations. Those donating blood should not fast, but rather eat a normal, healthy meal that day. Anyone giving blood must be 17 years of age or older, be in general good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and have a photo ID. Once again, all types are needed and donors with type "O" should be aware that they have a special gift to give.

To learn more about the process for donating blood or to determine if you're an eligible donor, please visit the Baystate Health website at http://www.baystatehealth.org/ or call their Blood Donor Center at (413) 794-4600.