Tulsa, OK (February 2, 2023)— National Blood Donor Month ended with Tulsa local Dale Watts, 78, reaching the 10-gallons of blood donations milestone.

Watts is no stranger to the Red Cross Blood Services, his late white Mary Watts had been a medical technician at St. Francis Hospital for 25 years and later served as an instructor for the Red Cross. “She use to try and practice drawing blood on me, but I wouldn’t let her,” said Watts.

Dale continued to resist donating blood until he, himself, was admitted to the hospital for a life-threatening condition in 2001 that required a significant amount of blood transfusions. “When I got home in February 2002, I didn’t know how much blood I went through while I was hospitalized,” he said. “While there was no way to tell, I just knew that I needed to repay that in some fashion.”

In fact, this year’s National Blood Donor Month comes at a time when the nation’s blood supply has dipped to concerning levels. “There are multiple causes for our decreased blood supply, many weather-related, but we’re working hard to increase our reserves,” said Alice Townsend, Regional Executive. “And remember, blood cannot be synthetically made, meaning volunteer donors are the only resource for providing blood to those in need.”

“In the U.S., 62% of the population is eligible to give blood, but only 3% does,” said Dr. Walter Kelley, Divisional Chief Medical Officer for the Pacific, Rocky Mountain, and Southwest Divisions of the American Red Cross. “Any of us – our friends, family, neighbors – could be in an accident or become ill someday and need blood,” he said. “By choosing to give now, donors not only help boost the future blood supply but also support those in need of emergency lifesaving care or transfusions for medical treatment.”

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion

Donors of all blood types – particularly type O, the blood group hospitals use most – are needed now to give blood or platelets to help meet demand. Schedule an appointment today by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).