NJBS was joined by local elected officials and community members for a ribbon-cutting event and celebration of the new donor center
MONTVALE, NJ – Today, New Jersey Blood Services (NJBS) was joined by Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, Dr. Matthew Letizia the son of blood recipient Gary Letizia and other local community leaders for the grand opening of their new state-of-the-art donor center at 36 Philips Pkwy Unit 103 in Montvale.
This event marks the opening of NJBS’s 5th donor center in the state and 19th donor center in the tri-state area as NJBS looks to invest in donor centers in an effort to make blood donation more convenient for local residents. The event included remarks from local officials and community members about the importance of donating blood for the region’s overall public health.
Dr. Matthew Letizia and his family have been fierce advocates for blood donation in memory of his father Gary Letizia, who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 68 and required countless blood transfusions in order to keep him alive. It was blood donations that enabled Gary Letizia to bravely battle leukemia and spend one final year with his family.
“I’m proud to celebrate this new state-of-the-art facility and New Jersey Blood Services’ expanded footprint,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Thank you to the volunteer blood donors here and across New Jersey who are ensuring a safe and stable blood supply.”
“We are so grateful to have such an important organization choose to establish a presence in Montvale,” said Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali. “In addition to their laudable day-to-day operations they are at the cutting edge of innovation for treatment of a variety of health concerns and conditions. We are happy to welcome NJ Blood Services to the Montvale community.”
“If not for the countless gallons of donated blood that kept my father valiantly battling cancer, we wouldn’t have been able to create those extra memories that final year,” said Dr. Matthew Letizia. “My quest has become to not only give back, but to now pay it forward, so that someone else’s loved one may receive that same precious gift of time.”
“New Jersey Blood Services is thrilled to open this new donor center in Montvale, which will advance our ability to meet donors where they are and collect more blood to better serve hospitals in New Jersey and the greater tri-state area,” said Andrea Cefarelli, Senior Vice President of New Jersey Blood Services. “Thank you to all of the elected officials and community members who came out to celebrate today, your stories of the impacts of blood donation were truly inspiring. We hope Montvale community members will come check out the new space and make an appointment to save a life today!”
“Blood donation is a fundamental component of modern medical care, providing essential resources for transfusions, surgical procedures, and emergency treatments,” said Dr. Kaitlan Baston, New Jersey Commissioner of Health. “One donation can save three lives. The more donors there are, the more chances at life and health we can give.”
Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted several blood donor eligibility restrictions. To view current eligibility guidelines, visit nybc.org or call 800.688.0900.
To make an appointment at a blood drive near you, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit nybc.org. Can’t donate blood? You can still support NYBC’s mission by texting ‘NYBC’ to ‘20222’ to give $25.
