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First-time American Legion national convention attendees give blood in Louisville. 

David Gardiner, commander of Post 83 in Greensboro, N.C., gives blood every eight weeks. So it was only fitting that his eight-week mark was the same time he was in Louisville, Ky., for �鶹��ƵAV’s 107th National Convention and a blood drive was being held in the Exhibit Hall. 

“Somebody needs it, and I’m happy to give it up,” Gardiner said of why he donates blood. “Every time I give, the Red Cross sends me an email to say, ‘Your blood went to this hospital for somebody that had a need.’ It gives you a reason to do it again.”

James Wilson is going on two years working for the American Red Cross and was assisting Gardiner in donating blood. He enjoys his job because it’s impactful.

“A lot of times you have a job, and it’s a job and you get busy, and it wears you out. This one is like, the more busy we are the more lives we save,” he said.

The blood drive was held on Friday, Monday and Tuesday during the national convention, missing the usual busy weekend timeslot due to the Kentucky State Fair happening the same time where the Red Cross held a blood drive. The loss of a weekend to donate didn’t deter Legion Family members from giving blood as a line was waiting first thing at 8 a.m. each day and remained steady. 

Shannon Mead of Auxiliary Unit 42 in Grand Canyon, Ariz., was waiting to give blood because “it’s something I can do, and every time I’ve done it it’s been an amazing experience,” she said. “I do a lot of volunteering anyway, but this is just kind of a nice way to be able to do it. I’m an O positive so I know it’s one of the blood types they want. I can’t help my dad because he’s A negative, but maybe I can help someone else.”   

And it seemed that the national convention in Louisville was not the first time for many Legion Family members to donate blood, including Gardiner, Mead and Mark Thomas.

Thomas from the Department of Hawaii donates once a year and “this worked out (to be) the perfect time,” he said, adding he gives blood because people in his family have needed blood in the past.