Before I was old enough to donate blood I watched my big brother Mark donate on a regular basis. I secretly decided to compete with him as soon as I could start. He was always more consistent than me, so it was always a good goal to try to catch up to him. A few years ago he switched to donating platelets, so seeing the need, I did too. We both had a goal to donate 20 times in 2020, then Covid hit and neither of us made it. Last year we aimed for 21 donations. He struggled with some health issues so didn’t quite make it. My dear brother Mark passed suddenly in February. We all miss him so much, but want to carry on in his absence. If it’s been a while since you’ve donated, please jump in again to honor Mark. If you’ve never donated, it really is easy! Please consider donating to honor him. I now donate platelets 20+ times a year. There is so much need for both blood and platelets. Feel free to ask me any questions you have. If you can’t donate, please encourage your friends and family to join in to honor Mark and save lives. I’m starting this in September because it’s his birthday month, and going through the end of the year. Thank You so much!