Thursday, October 1, 2026
American Legion Post 1282 and the Merrick Kiwanis Club found a way to share their interests in life-saving action and neighborly community service: donating blood.
The two organizations are hosting a blood drive in partnership with the New York Blood Center, a nonprofit that works with medical facilities across the state. The drive will be held on June 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 160 West Merrick Road. Donors must be 17 or older and require an ID to participate.
Vice presidential nominee Neil O’Keeffe, a member of the Merrick Kiwanis Club, took the initiative to bring this opportunity into existence. O’Keeffe, a former NYPD officer specializing in counterterrorism, has years of experience in protecting the health of his community.
“I was looking for a partner for the blood drive, and I know the American Legion does a lot for the community,” he said.
O’Keeffe moved to Merrick decades ago. He quickly heard about the Kiwanis Club and what community service opportunities it offers.
“It’s really great what they do for children,” he said. “They raise a ton of money, they send underprivileged kids to Camp Kiwanis in upstate New York, they do can drives, they do cleanups. We just did a cleanup with the Save the Great South Bay organization where we lifted 700 pounds of garbage out of the pond… It’s a great, great organization.”
While the club encourages civic activity year-round, this drive has some of the most immediate and profound benefits for those in need.
“Somebody needs blood every two minutes, especially mothers during childbirth and cancer patients,” O’Keeffe said. “We always do fundraisers, and people are very generous, they give a lot of money, and this is free. You don’t donate anything except blood. We’re not asking anybody for money. We just ask them for the gift of life, and it really is for a good cause.”
Commander Robert Dishman of American Legion Post 1282 was happy to help.
“The Kiwanis called me, and they said, ‘we’d like to run a blood bank, but we don’t have a place to do it, would you be interested?’ I told them yes,” he said. “It’s good for both of us. It’s good because blood is needed all the time and the Kiwanis needed a facility, and for us it’ll have people realize what the American Legion is.”
Blood donation is an easy way of preventing further harm to people who have suffered major injuries. Making a blood donation takes about an hour, including registration, brief questioning and the actual collection. The blood association recommends staying hydrated on the day before to help accelerate the process.
Stephen Brock, business development manager of the New York Blood Center, is responsible for helping the center find new opportunities for community blood drives and connect with more donors.
“This led drive that the Kiwanis Club is putting home at the American Legion comes at a critical time for us,” he said. “Blood donations are down about nearly 15 percent, so that represents about 4,500 fewer donations than needed to meet the hospital demands across the region.”
This deficit puts New York in a “Blood Emergency,” according to Brock, which makes every individual donation more important than ever.
“We take the platelets, the red blood cells, and the plasma, and those can be used to save three different patients’ lives,” Brock said. “We take a pin prick and we check your medical, we check your blood pressure and just make sure your hemoglobin levels are what they should be, and then then you can donate.”
One donation of blood has the potential to save three lives. For more information about the upcoming event, visit Donate.NYBC.Org/Donor/Schedules/Drive_Schedule/338284.
