人間通訊社

On December 17, 2017, NY YAD invited The New York Blood Drive back for another successful round of blood donations at the New York BLIA Fo Guang Shan Temple. This year, the total number of donors was at its highest ever, clocking in 48 total donors by 4:00 p.m. - just shy of 50. The organization of the annual blood drive has become almost a tradition, dating back many years. Each year the prospective count usually caps at 50, but NY YAD intends to shatter this goal each year - this year being one of the most productive and successful rally of eligible donors. This year also yielded the lowest amount of rejected donors, counting in at only 10. People came from all over town to chip in for the much-needed blood supplies that were in shortage, especially during the winter months where cold weather prevents people from accessing donation sites.

Most of the donors expressed their willingness and resolve to undergo the tedious process of blood donation under the needle. A few donors were brave enough to undergo the lengthy Alyx machine for donating double the amount of red blood cells. The usual amount of blood drawn was one pint and sometimes left the donors feeling cold and lightheaded. One such donor, fellow YAD member Jean Hon was left feeling unwell but triumphant in having successfully donated a whole pint of blood. She expressed her relief after the ordeal was over and commented that “there weren’t enough donors during this time of year”. Jasmine Ling, who also donated blood said that the ordeal was “Very painful but a very good deed since it is almost Christmas time”. Fellow donors Margaret Su and Elly Shih both were very happy to be part of the donation and said they were “happy to help save lives”, with Ms. Shih adding that she felt good donating blood and “feels proud to be healthy enough to donate at the age of 60”. Several other donors expressed their gratitude in being able to contribute to an important and vital necessity that was in shortage.

The allotted donation time was from 10am to 4pm and as the clock neared 4:00 the count was closing in to 40 and soon to 45 but there still needed to be 50 donors for the grand goal of 50 donors to be reached. In a fury, members of YAD scrambled through the floors of the temple combing for eligible donors to bump the number. Two more donors would arrive right before closing and move the number close to 50 and stopping at 48 donors. This was quite a feat indeed, galvanizing a higher count than the previous winter blood drive and earning the YAD blood drive organizer Jaron Zhou a substantial scholarship for successfully fulfilling 95 percent of the set goal.

NY YAD wants to promote charity and good within the community, starting one blood drop at a time. YAD has worked tirelessly to provide for the local community, engaging in community services such as beach and park cleanups, participating in fundraising activities, and providing for disaster relief. The annual blood drive always brings many people together for the common good and brings a feeling of joy and prosperity before the new year starts.