SALT LAKE CITY — Memorial Day is a holiday for many people, a day off work, a chance to honor fallen heroes, and a time to plan summer fun. But for the American Red Cross, Memorial Day also means a chance for them to kickstart their summer blood donation drive, because the need for blood never takes a holiday.
“I do it because there’s a need,” exclaimed Army and Navy Veteran Richard Iker. We caught up with him on Memorial Day morning.
He’s a regular blood and platelet donor but says there’s something a little extra special about donating on Memorial Day. “I reflect back on those Service members that, unfortunately, they gave their all, they weren’t able to come home and enjoy life without that.”
Benjamin Donner is the Executive Director of the American Red Cross for central & southern Utah. “Every Memorial Day, when we think about all those heroes that have fallen, maybe we can be a hero for somebody else?”
Donner oversees blood donations for roughly two-thirds of the state, including central and southern Utah. He says the need for blood goes up during the summer. But because people are so busy with their own activities, the number of donors sometimes goes down a little bit.
“It’s easy to forget when we’re doing so many amazing things. Here at the American Red Cross, we’re really hoping that families can make this a tradition,” stated Donner.
Folks like dedicated donor Richard Iker. “There’s cancer patients that need the platelets, people's blood that doesn’t clot, and obviously the plasma goes to research and for other things of that nature,” Iker pondered. “I’m 70 years old right now, and my health is still good. I’ve been blessed with that, so as long as my health hangs out and my veins hold up, I’ll still be donating.”
Ben Donner says nearly every drop of blood that’s donated here stays in Utah. And it’s needed now more than ever during the busy summer months.
