For my birthday, I’m challenging 100 of my friends and family to pledge to give blood. During the onset of the COVID crisis, I learned that hospitals were in dire need of blood, and I realized it had been over 20 years since I had given blood. As a person who is generally pretty healthy and could have given countless times in two decades, I felt guilty for letting so many years go by without giving. I’ve been able to donate twice now since then and have another appointment at the end of October. If you are able, go do what is literally one of the easiest things we can do, costs us nothing but maybe an hour of our time, and gift what could be another birthday to someone in need.
Once you have made your pledge to donate blood, make your plans to vote!