As a blood donor, you can help us save lives. As a Blood Center, we can help you save time.

To meet the healthcare needs of our region, the Blood Center depends on the contributions of our volunteer blood donors. Their support allows us to provide a stable, adequate blood supply to all those who rely on it and, in giving back to the community, they play an essential role in saving thousands of lives every year. In recognition of their efforts, the Blood Center strives to make donating as convenient as possible.

The Blood Center introduced the Double Take Program in the central office and new donor centers in Federal Way and Southwest Washington. Busy father Lee Scott was one of the first to participate in the program.

In August, we opened the Federal Way Donor Center to provide improved service to this growing community. With 13,000 registered donors in the South King County area, this permanent, state-of-theart facility is well-situated in Celebration Center, making it easier for those donors to participate. In addition, the Blood Center’s Southwest Washington Blood Program expanded with the opening of their Vancouver Donor Center. Since 1995, this program addresses the growing need for blood and medical services in Southwest Washington and offers invaluable support to every major medical center in the region.

Donor centers also now offer the Double Take Program, which allows eligible type O donors to give red blood cells only, instead of whole blood. This enables the red cell collection to be twice as large as it would be from a whole blood donation – invaluable in treating severe bloodloss patients. It works like this: Blood is drawn, red cells are collected, platelets and plasma are returned to the donor. Lee Scott, a 23-year donor, takes advantage of this program, allowing him to spend more time with his son.

“I have type O blood, so as a universal donor any patient can accept my blood,” says Lee Scott, a 23-year donor. “I donate to help people; and I feel good about that.” He also feels good about the Double Take Program because it is a challenge as a father to find the time to donate. “With only 3 visits a year, it’s a great time-saver for me – and a life-saver for twice as many people.”