Each time our donors give blood, platelets or plasma, they give patients more precious time to spend with their loved ones — and that’s a big deal. That’s why it’s important to us to give our generous donors chances to win gift cards that will help improve their lives, too. Most recently, folks who donated between Sept. 8-30 qualified to win one of two $10,000 gift cards.
Thousands of donors gave blood during this time frame, and the two winners were randomly selected and notified by Vitalant staff. The winners could choose from a variety of electronic gift cards to use online or have an American Express gift card mailed to them.
Our first winner is Holly D. of Arizona. Holly started giving blood in high school when she followed her parents’ example and decided to donate as well. With Vitalant, she has 15 lifetime donations. Her visit to a local blood drive qualified her for the giveaway. 
Holly was stunned to find out she was a winner. “Normally, I don’t answer phone calls from a number I don’t recognize, but for some reason, this time I answered the call. This prize is such an unexpected benefit of doing what’s right. If you haven’t donated yet or can donate again, please do. Who knows how good you will feel when you give?”
With frequent blood drives in her town, Holly tries to donate as often as she can. She appreciates how easy it is to schedule an appointment on the Vitalant website and that the donation doesn’t take too long. She doesn’t even mind the needle stick.
An added benefit of giving blood has been learning valuable health information. “I've learned that I've had low iron at various stages of my life and been able to work with my doctors to get it back in a normal range,” Holly said. “I also appreciate Vitalant giving us A1C values for the same reason.”
Virginia K. of California is our second winner. Virginia has given 14 times with Vitalant, and her qualifying donation was at a local donation center. A blood donor since college, Virginia found out years later as a medical intern that she had an in-demand blood type.
“The children's hospital would phone me when the need was urgent. It is amazing to think the operator would call our landline and my husband would take a message on the notepad by the phone, and when I was free from my rotations on the wards, I would go to the children's hospital lab to donate. Much later, a staffer told me how one pint of my O-negative, CMV-negative blood could be enough for multiple newborns, so tiny are their systems. That is also why infants' needs are so urgent: They do not have vials of blood to spare for testing .”
Helping infants is particularly close to Virginia’s heart because when her son, Andrew, was 8 months old, he needed surgery. At the time, Virginia was teaching home economics in California. Watching her son go through surgery inspired her to go to medical school at age 32, and her husband left his job to care for their two small children. For more than 30 years, Virginia has carried around the photo of Andrew in the hospital as her inspiration for practicing medicine and being a blood donor. 
As a strict vegan, Virginia makes sure to take her iron supplement so she can donate. “Five years into my eat-no-animals commitment, I am still donating a pint every other month.”
We appreciate the generosity of Holly and Virginia — and everyone who stepped up to help patients during the month of September. Patients undoubtedly have more time with loved ones because of your generous hearts.