Extraordinary. Grand. Remarkable. Monumental. Heroic. These are all definitions for the word “epic.” Three blood donors experienced the power of that word when they discovered they had won our Epic Treats Giveaway, which ran from Oct. 6-31. Plus, all donors who donated on Halloween received an exclusive T-shirt as a token of our appreciation. These fun October treats were our way of saying thanks to our blood donors, who embody the meaning of the word “epic” in every way.
There were 92,975 donors who qualified for the giveaway, and the three donors whose names were randomly drawn were awarded $5,000 electronic gift cards. They could spend the entirety of the prize all in one place or spread it out among about 200 different retailers, airlines, restaurants and more. What better way to usher in the holiday season than with a $5,000 gift card, right?
Our first winner is Naomi H. of New Mexico. Naomi—who has donated four times with Vitalant—qualified for the giveaway by participating in a high school mobile drive organized by our colleagues in El Paso.
Soncellia P. of Tennessee is our second winner. Soncellia’s qualifying whole blood donation took place at one of our donation centers. Though she’s donated 38 times with Vitalant, it had been a while since her last donation with us in 2020.
“I was overjoyed when I was able to donate, because being able to save a life means so much to me,” shared Soncellia.
She was motivated to start giving blood after hearing her husband’s testimony of his brother who died from AIDS. “His brother was so weak, but when he was given blood his energy rose, and he felt he could make it.”
Soncellia said it brings her pure happiness to be able to help patients in need. “I was thrilled when I won. I thought, ‘Wow, this never happens to me!’ I would encourage people not to give because you could win a gift card but do it because of the joy and fullness you’d feel saving a life.”
Last but not least, our third winner is Kenneth K. from Mississippi. Kenneth had not one, but TWO qualifying donations during the giveaway timeframe. His winning whole blood donation occurred at one of our donation centers. He also gave platelets a few weeks later, potentially saving multiple lives. 
“I used to struggle looking for purpose in how to give back to my community. I tried volunteering at different places, which due to limited mobility in my lower back because of two lumbar back surgeries made it hard to do. I decided to give blood as a way of helping those in need,” said Kenneth.
When he found out he’d won the $5,000 gift card, Kenneth was stunned. “I had no idea, no thoughts about winning any prize – let alone winning a sizeable amount of money. Thank you, Vitalant, and it looks like it’s time to schedule another donation!”
We couldn’t agree more. And thank you to everyone who stepped up to help patients ahead of the holiday season.