The Farmingdale Council of PTA's districtwide blood drive is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 16. The drive will be held between the hours of 3:30 and 9 p.m. in the cafeteria of Woodward Parkway Elementary School.

In this annual event, members of the Farmingdale PTA work with Long Island Blood Services (LIBS) in Melville to raise awareness of the importance of giving blood donations. Each of the schools in Farmingdale use various techniques to advertise the drive, from hanging posters around the school and in local supermarkets, calling parents and neighbors, and sending out letters to community residents.

According to Joan Tischner, a PTA member who's in her fourth year co-chairing the event and this year is heading the effort at Woodward Parkway, last year's turnout was very successful. The blood drive collected 169 pints of blood, close to the record-breaking amount they had gathered the year before. This year, Kathy Carlsen, who is heading the drive for Albany Avenue Elementary School, is also the PTA chairperson for the whole district.

According to Tischner, LIBS asks the Farmingdale PTA to hold the drive in January due to the incredible need for blood donations. Since there are numerous illnesses contracted around this time, the amount of blood collected in Farmingdale each year benefits several people. Tischner added that the district is asked to hold the drive during this crucial time due to the success they've had in past years.

In 1999 there were 5,313 pints of blood collected throughout Long Island by PTA-run blood drives all over Nassau and Suffolk Counties. From these donations approximately 21,000 people in need of blood benefited from these drives. Tischner says the goal of the Farmingdale PTA is to help increase that number and to allow more people receive the help they need.

To achieve this, each school attempts to raise awareness to let people know exactly what a blood donation is all about. Tischner, who has been donating for over 15 years, explains to first-time donors that there is nothing to be frightened about, describing the feeling as a "pinch."

"In my experience you tend to get regulars who come to donate often, and for the past few years we've always managed to get at least a few new donors," said Tischner. "People understand the importance of it and they come out to give it a try."

LIBS representative Nancy Anderson, who works with members of the Farmingdale PTA on their blood drives said that there is currently an "emergency appeal," and that it's very important for drives to at least meet their goals, if not surpass them.

Although the Farmingdale School District has not set a goal as to how many pints they wish to collect, Tischner said she hopes that the number will be close to and even exceed the 169 collected last year.

Everywhere and every day on Long Island there is a consistent need for healthy donors as blood is in constant demand. Tischner said that despite the fact that there is such a need, approximately only five percent of people who are eligible to donate actually do so. "Giving blood is a community responsibility," she said, and hopes to see some new faces at this year's drive.

In their flier handed out to parents, administrators, faculty and staff, PTA blood drive chairpersons say that their goal of the drive is "to fulfill our community commitment to patients in hospitals all over Long Island. No one really knows when we or a loved one might need that precious gift of life for which there is no substitute."