Blood drives planned in area

There will be blood drives in the area on March 18 and 23, put on by New Jersey Blood Services.
There will be one on Saturday, March 18 at the Lafayette Fire House, located at 126 Route 15 North, from 7:45 a.m. until 1:45 p.m.
There will be another on Thursday, March 23 at Glen Meadow Middle School, 7 Sammis Road, Vernon, from 3-7:30 p.m.
Blood products have a short shelf life – from five to 42 days, so constant replenishment is necessary. Each and every day there are patients who depend on the transfusion of red blood cells, platelets and plasma to stay alive. But blood and blood products can’t be manufactured. They can only come from volunteer blood donors who take an hour to attend a blood drive or visit a donor center.