On JUNE 14, 2005, The World Health Organization and the International Red Cross organized the first ever WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY. I was also born on that exact day.
Did you know that in all but 5 states, people can donate blood starting at age 16 like me? With parental consent, of course. Only Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, New Mexico and Wyoming make you wait until 17. That is a lot of eligible teenage donors out of school, who can safely help boost our country’s blood supply over the summer months.
Pre-pandemic, students accounted for 25% of donors, now down to 10%. Teenagers are commonly healthier and easier to screen for donor eligibility. The need for donated blood is constant. World Blood Donor Day, aka ‘My Birthday’, reminds us that blood cannot be manufactured in a lab, it is ONLY made available from regular, voluntary blood donations from people like YOU and ME. Every 2 seconds in the US, someone needs lifesaving blood. One donation can save up to three lives. It is a privilege we get, just like driving, that most of us receive when we turn 16.

“On this Memorial Day Weekend, the start of Summer 2022, I kicked off my PIERCE SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE CHALLENGE, by making the second donation of my blood donor lifetime journey. Let’s use our power to save lives while educating other teenagers all around the country to make a plan, stick to it, and donate blood before the summer is over on Labor Day Weekend.”

Taking it ONE ARM AT A TIME, we can reach my PIERCE SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE CHALLENGE goal of 2,022 donations over the 100 days of summer ahead. Have a heart and do your part. Tell a friend, invite a friend, post a selfie and tag a friend to challenge them to keep it going until we exceed my 2,022 goal. Did I mention the free juice and snacks you receive after donating your blood?
Please tag both #piercesummerblooddrivechallenge and #onearmatatime