Suburban Propane Partners L.P., a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil, and related products and services, teamed up with the American Red Cross and athlete-activist-entrepreneur, Eric LeGrand, to boost awareness for sickle cell disease in the company’s home state of New Jersey. The event took place at the Northern New Jersey location of the American Red Cross in Fairfield.
Eric LeGrand attended the event, which included a blood drive, and spoke about the need for more blood donations to fight sickle cell disease. The mayor of Fairfield, William Galese was also in attendance.
In the United States, it is estimated that over 100,000 people have sickle cell disease and may require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lifetime — as many as 100 units of blood per patient each year. Unfortunately, frequent transfusions can make finding compatible blood types more difficult when patients develop an immune response against blood from donors that are not closely matched to the blood of the recipient.
One in three African American blood donors is a match for people with sickle cell disease. To help ensure patients have the blood products they need, the American Red Cross is working with partners in the black community to grow the number of blood donors who are black.
“Suburban Propane is honored to team up with our longtime partners at the American Red Cross and with hometown hero Eric LeGrand to increase awareness for such an important cause,” said Nandini Sankara, Suburban Propane spokesperson. “We are continuously inspired by Eric, the American Red Cross, and their work within our local community to help others overcome some of the toughest moments in life, and we hope that today will inspire others to become blood donors.”
The endeavor is part of the Company’s SuburbanCares initiative which is dedicated to supporting community efforts across the United States. Recently, SuburbanCares has undertaken charitable endeavors in numerous underserved communities and fed healthcare professionals in 2020 in some of the most COVID-19 affected regions in the nation, including Florida, California, Texas, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C.
“Blood transfusion is an essential treatment for sickle cell disease —t he most common genetic blood disease in the U.S. and primarily affecting black and African American individuals,” said Rosie Taravella, CEO of the American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “We appreciate Suburban Propane and Eric LeGrand helping bring awareness to the need for blood donation to help Sickle Cell patients with their treatment.”
“Suburban Propane has been a longtime champion of Team LeGrand, and I’m honored to support their partnership with the American Red Cross and its mission to help raise awareness of sickle cell disease here in New Jersey," said LeGrande. “It is great to see Suburban Propane and the American Red Cross team up to host a blood drive in Fairfield and raise awareness for sickle cell disease,” said Fairfield Mayor William Galese.” The generous act of donating blood saves lives, and Fairfield is grateful for the work being done to support the community.”
