Erie County Legislator Ed Rath is partnering with ConnectLife to sponsor an upcoming Emergency Blood Drive in Williamsville. As elective surgeries resume and many restrictions are lifted, ConnectLife is faced with an urgent need for blood donations.

The drive will take place from 10am-8pm Wednesday, May 27th at the ConnectLife Neighborhood Blood Donation Center, 4444 Bryant and Stratton Way Williamsville. Those interested in donating must sign up to make an appointment beforehand by visiting ConnectLifeGiveBlood.org or by calling 716-529-4270.

Legislator Rath said, “The COVID-19 outbreak has affected the blood supply to our local hospitals.  I am happy to partner with ConnectLife to help secure more donations!  It’s important our community helps ensure a steady supply of blood to continue saving lives. Please consider making a donation!”

Amanda Farrell, ConnectLife Blood Donor Recruitment Director said, “Currently, hospital blood needs have returned to where they were pre-pandemic. As our state and cities begin to plan for the future, restrictions are being lifted on elective surgeries and procedures. With these restrictions lifted, we’ve seen an increase in requests for blood from our local hospitals. We currently need more than 100 donors a day to keep up with hospital demand. This means that we must ask more from you, our community. It is critical that we maintain a steady blood supply – we need to ensure that we have more than a week’s supply of ALL blood types and not return to the state that we were at the start of the pandemic.”

For additional information on donation opportunities or to make an appointment for another time and location, visit ConnectLife.org.