January Is a Time to Recognize Blood Donors

We are in the middle of celebrating the 53rd National Blood Donor Month. This month, we are recognizing and thanking the donors who give blood to help save lives. Every year, I get a chance to sit down with some of our donors and help tell their stories. You’ll hear from some of them this year in The Insider newsletter, emails, calendar, or on our website. These donors love, love, LOVE to help save lives!  

Kris is one of the many donors I got a chance to talk to.  He never misses an opportunity to donate blood, platelets, or plasma. His mom influenced him to donate when he was in his teens. It was what she did that inspired him to be a blood donor.  

“When I was young, my mother would use to get calls to do donations in the middle of the night on weekends because she was O-.” Kris said. “Whenever pregnant women got in car wrecks, they would give her a call and she would actually sometimes beat the ambulances to the hospitals and donate.”  

Kris is a science teacher and loves to educate his students about blood donations and how important it is to give blood.  January is all about people like Kris, and we can’t thank donors enough for their help in saving lives!  

The first National Blood Donor Month was held in 1970. Blood donations typically decrease during the winter months which is why President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation to honor blood donors and encourage people to give blood. Let’s encourage each other this month, and throughout the year, to donate blood when we can. Ready to make a blood donation? Find a convenient location to donate blood and schedule an appointment today!