Tallahassee, Florida
A co-worker organized a blood drive at our business (The Earl Bacon Agency in Tallahassee) perhaps 30 years ago. Her husband had become seriously ill and required blood for what turned out to be numerous surgeries. I had never been a blood donor. Since I was in a leadership position in the company, it did not seem right that many of my co-workers were participating while I was not. So, I signed up to be a first-time donor.
I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and painless the process was and have just kept donating over the years (I hope July, 2026 will get me to 17 gallons!). Now days, my son Greg, daughter Lauren, and I show up together at the donor center in Tallahassee, usually on a Saturday morning. After our donations, we make a morning of it and go out for lunch. It's become a bi-monthly family adventure! Our combined total at OneBlood is 24 gallons.
