BREAKING NEWS
Land O’ Pines will host community blood drive
BY BARI FAYE SIEGEL Correspondent

HOWELL — If you found out that 15 minutes of your time could help save the lives of four people, would you make the time?

Bernadette Mastowski, nurse at the Land O’ Pines School, and all of her students are banking on the generosity of the community. For the third year, the school is holding its annual blood drive – an effort to collect desperately needed blood for New Jersey Blood Services.

The blood drive is set for Feb. 26 from 3:30-8 p.m. at the school on Windeler Road. All potential donors will be screened prior to their ability to donate blood. New Jersey Blood Services will offer free cholesterol screenings to each donor as well as two free tickets to the Bronx Zoo and a T-shirt – in exchange for one unit of blood.

Babysitting will be provided while parents are donating. Refreshments, including hot chocolate, will be offered in the recuperation area for all who attend.

Additionally, if 30 units of blood are collected, the school will receive a donation of $250 from New Jersey Blood Services.

“This is a huge community service and even though only adults can donate blood, we feel it’s important to start teaching our students about the importance of donating,” Mastowski said. “It’s vital that our children not be afraid of blood or donating it. They need to understand why donating is important, how it helps to save lives.”

On Feb. 11, representatives from New Jersey Blood Services, an affiliate of the New York Blood Center, came to Land O’ Pines to teach the children all about blood. The 20-minute in-class sessions were designed to be an extension of the science curriculum.

Students learned all about blood — the components in the blood cell, the fighting mechanism of the white blood cells and the entire process of how blood moves through the body.

“This program helped children in grades three through five understand how blood flows in a healthy person so they can better understand the need for donation for sick people with cancer and blood disorders,” added Mastowski, who has been the school nurse at Land O’ Pines for six years.

If you are generally healthy and not ill on the day of the blood drive, you may be eligible to donate blood. Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. For more information, call (732) 751-2489, ext. 4054.

What about people who are really afraid to give blood? Mastowski completely understands fear, but she said it’s important that healthy adults see the bigger picture and promises ample “hand-holders” for those who need extra comfort.

“You have to keep in mind that you are saving lives. One unit of blood donated can save four people,” she said. “Giving blood is a safe procedure done under strict guidelines. Please, come out and donate. Focus on the positive outcome, not the fear.”