PARSIPPANY — With the annual, winter blood shortage looming, the non-profit, blood collection organization Vitalant is keeping its Parsippany blood center open for donations during Thanksgiving morning. Appointments are recommended, but walks-in are certainly welcome.
Specifically, Vitalant’s location at 1259 Route 46 East, Building #4E, Suite 410, will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon on Thanksgiving Day. All those who donate blood will receive $20.00 Walmart gift cards. Those who donate platelets will receive $25.00 Walmart gift cards.
In addition, Vitalant will also hold a Thanksgiving donation event in Wayne, at the Stop & Shop, 1220 Hamburg Turnpike. As with the blood center, hours for this event will be from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon. Those who donate will receive a $10.00 Target gift card and a $10.00 Stop & Shop gift card. Platelet donors will receive a $10.00 Target gift card and a $15.00 Stop & Shop gift card.
Healthy individuals age 16 or older, who weigh at least 110 pounds, may donate blood; 16- and 17-year-olds must have proof of birth date and signed consent forms, either in English (click here) or Spanish (click here). Donors should eat a moderate meal prior to donating, and also bring identification featuring their signature. Additional information about donating blood is also available by clicking here.
Vitalant in New Jersey is a not-for-profit organization that supplies blood and blood products to hospitals in the NJ/NY region, Bergen County-based Vitalant (previously Community Blood Services) has been devoted to serving the community’s transfusion medicine needs since 1953. Donations of blood and blood products, umbilical cord blood, stem cells, and bone marrow help to join individuals, organizations, businesses, and entire communities together in partnership to help save lives.
