For Immediate Release
January 29, 2007

BUFFALO, NY - February is the month when we celebrate Valentine’s Day – a traditional time for hearts and flowers and a chance to honor sweethearts and loved ones. The Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) Donor Center is asking everyone to celebrate by opening their hearts to cancer patients and donate the precious gift of blood or platelets.

This donation of blood or platelets will help meet an ever-increasing need by cancer patients. As a token of gratitude, anyone donating on February 14, Valentine’s Day, will be treated to a specialty cookie from Sweet Tooth of Buffalo.

Blood and platelets are needed year-round to help cancer patients during their treatments. Platelets are the blood cells in your body that help stop bleeding. Treatments such as chemotherapy and blood and marrow transplantation can leave patients with dangerously low levels of platelets. Without platelets and the donors who give them, patients are at increased risk of bleeding even before they can benefit from the treatments. To have a chance at life, blood and platelet transfusions are necessary for the patient’s healthy recovery.

The RPCI Donor Center is open six days per week with flexible daily hours of operation. To donate, you must be at least 17 years of age and weigh at least 100 pounds. By making a commitment to be a donor, you are helping Roswell Park meet the daily needs of its cancer patients. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 716-845-8282.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center headquartered in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania and in China. For more information, visit RPCI's website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org

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