Dayne R. • Punta Gorda, FL

I donate blood because it's the right thing to do. I looked forward to my sixteenth birthday so I would be eligible to give the gift of life. In fact I celebrated my sixteenth birthday at my local blood center by donating my first unit of blood. I just felt that giving the gift of life was a great way to celebrate my life. I plan to donate blood regularly in the future and my try donating platelets. I hope to influence other teenagers to give blood as soon as they are old enough.