The Red Cross and DirectBuy team up to boost blood supply

STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS…

Supporting the blood supply is a community-wide responsibility. That’s why DirectBuy is teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive on Wednesday, July 22, 2009.

The American Red Cross blood bus will be at DirectBuy of Boston North’s 100A Fallon Road location in Stoneham between the hours of 2pm and 8 pm. Walk-ins are welcome. However, due to limited space in the Donor Center, the Red Cross encourages donors to make an appointment by calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or logging on to www.givelife.org.

As an added incentive for donors to make an appointment in advance, all presenting donors will receive a coupon for a free carton of Friendly’s Ice Cream. A scheduled appointment is required to receive the coupon.

“A safe and sufficient blood supply must be on the shelves when patients need it most, and the only source of blood is a generous blood donor,” says Donna M. Morrissey, Director of Public Relations and Corporate Affairs, American Red Cross - Northeast Division. “The American Red Cross is appreciative of DirectBuy for its support of our life-saving mission.”

The need for blood is constant. Every day, the Northeast Division must collect 2,000 units of blood just to meet the basic needs of patients across New England. The difference a donor can make in the life of a patient is something that cannot be overstated.

Blood can be used for patients undergoing many surgical procedures, organ transplants, trauma and chemotherapy. For some patients, such as the victim of an automobile accident, the need for blood is sudden. For others, ongoing transfusions are needed to sustain lifesaving medical treatment.

“As a member of the Stoneham business community, we’re happy to host this blood drive,” said Carl Krawczyk, managing partner of DirectBuy of Boston North.  “We urge our members and residents of the greater Stoneham area to come out and donate. Your donation could save up to three lives.”

Charitable endeavors are nothing new for DirectBuy. DirectBuy locations across Canada and the United States are active contributors to many local non-profits and charities, including the Boys & Girls Clubs, Salvation Army, YMCAs, Homes for Our Troops and Children’s Hospitals.

Since 1971, DirectBuy has helped consumers enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, and accessories, by providing an avenue to purchase directly from the manufacturer. Conveniently located at 100A Fallon Road in Stoneham, Massachusetts, just north of the City of Boston, DirectBuy offers members a comfortable setting, where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

For more information on a DirectBuy membership, you can call 781-279-4433 or visit http://www.directbuycares.com.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross has been a primary supplier of lifesaving blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. The American Red Cross Blood Services -- Northeast Division supplies a wide range of blood components, plasma derivatives, and transfusion services to over 200 hospitals and other medical facilities throughout Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. It serves the blood needs of more than 9 million residents and many thousand more who travel to New England for care at many of the nation’s top medical centers.

*In the state of Maine and Massachusetts, persons who are 16 years of age are eligible to donate blood with parental consent.

About DirectBuy

For more than 38 years, DirectBuy has been showing thousands of consumers unparalleled ways to save as they shop for virtually everything for in and around their homes – from furniture, carpet and flooring, and custom window treatments, to kitchen and bath cabinets and fixtures, appliances and much, much more.  DirectBuy enables members to purchase products from several hundred manufacturers at more than 160 showrooms across North America.  To learn more about DirectBuy, visit www.directbuy.com or www.directbuycares.com.