At our first annual Blood Drive we collected 117 pints from 138 donors and enrolled 30 new patients.

The NOMC&AF, with support from The Blood Center, the City of New Orleans, OffBeat Magazine, and Frenchmen Street Music Clubs, sponsored a Replacement Blood Drive on May 22nd from 3-9pm at the Frenchmen Street Art Market, just blocks away from where the Mothers’ Day shooting occurred.

The goal was to collect 50 pints of blood in support of the victims and the result was a larger statement about community resilience, connection and positive response in the wake of tragedy – 117 pints of blood collected from 138 donors, a well-stocked food and refreshment canteen backed by several local companies, 8 volunteer NOMC nurses aiding in the drive, 5 live music acts funded by the NOMAF Gig Fund, and the NOMC enrolled more than 30 new patients from the crowd of hundreds who came out in support.

With enough support, the NOMC hopes to produce a 2014 Blood Drive. Donations may be made at www.nomaf.org/donations (indicate “blood drive”) or be made directly to the Blood Center at thebloodcenter.org/FinancialDonation.aspx