It’s a time of year where organizations like the American Red Cross are in dire need, and this year is a historic one.
Nationwide, according to the 140-year-old organization, someone needs blood every two seconds – that’s 41,000 donations a day – to keep up with that demand. And while 38% of the population is eligible to donate, only 10% do.
The American Red Cross continues to put a call out for people to come in and donate, like avid volunteer Laurence Segal.
“I’ve been doing this so long that you get to know these people over the years and their life stories,” said Segal, who is also known around the Syracuse area as ‘The Can Man” for his bottle collection work that raises money for cancer research.
” ‘Til the day I die, I will fight for these kids and adults to get the blood they need and the dollars for cancer research, and I’m gonna keep doing it,” he said.
What You Need To Know
- Be at least 17 years old, or 16 with a parent’s consent to donate blood
- Have photo ID and weigh at least 110 pounds
- Feel healthy and well on the day of donation
Segal said his drive to give back and donate come from the people in his life who have died of cancer. That list includes his best friend, former “The Price is Right” announcer Rod Roddy.
“At the time when we’re in the hospital. I always looked up at the bags of blood that he was receiving. It always said ‘volunteer’ on the bag,” Segal said. “And I thought it takes a very special person to take time out of their life to donate blood to keep somebody else alive. What a selfless act that is.”
According to the American Red Cross, for every donation of blood, three lives are helped. While many donors have dialed back their regular donations amid the pandemic, there are people like Marcus Overdyk who never wavered.
The basic donation takes about five minutes, with the whole process taking generally less than an hour.
“I give fairly regularly, but when you hear the need is urgent, seems like the right thing to do,” Overdyk said. “I feel good about it.”
