The lesson learned from our Make a Difference Giveaway is that sometimes it pays to step outside your comfort zone to try something new. Of the three donors who won a $10,000 gift card, two were first-time donors with Vitalant.
The giveaway ran Nov. 1-Dec. 1, 2024, and 99,635 donors qualified for the contest—but only three names could be randomly drawn to take home the prize.
Gary G. and James M. were our first-time-donor winners, and Jamie S. was our third winner with seven lifetime donations with Vitalant.
Each winner received an electronic gift card, which could be spent all in one place or spread out among about 200 different retailers, airlines, restaurants and more. Talk about a fun shopping spree!
Now let’s learn a little more about our winners. Gary hails from Nevada. His winning whole blood donation took place at the St. Thomas More Catholic Community mobile drive—a drive operated by our colleagues in Las Vegas. Gary’s decision to walk in that day to give blood for the first time resulted in a big thank-you gift.
James also lives in Nevada. He made an appointment through our website for his donation at the Carson City Donation Center. Deciding to make that appointment—and keep it—had positive consequences for James and the patients he helped.
California resident Jamie gave her qualifying platelet donation at Sacramento Midtown Donation Center. When we first reached out to notify her that she’d won, Jamie was skeptical.
“I didn’t believe it at first, but I am now overwhelmed with joy and surprised. I am very thankful for it!”
Jamie started donating after witnessing the power of blood donation to save her mother’s life.
“My mother had an unexpected medical issue come up, and she ended up in an emergency surgery specifically to stop internal bleeding. We almost lost her, but due to the doctors doing what they miraculously do and my mother receiving a lot of blood, she pulled through. Seeing how blood donors helped my mom, I wanted to do the same and give back.”
Jamie says the best part of giving platelets is receiving the email telling her that her donation has been sent to a hospital to help a patient in need.
To Jamie, there is no better feeling than helping someone, and she believes platelet donation is one of the most accessible ways to do that.
“The process is easy, and the staff are very welcoming and really make you feel comfortable throughout the whole visit. You just sit there, in a comfortable chair like you would at home and enjoy a show or a movie. If you’re going to have time to relax and watch something, why not multitask and help someone else or possibly save someone’s life while doing it!”
The truth is that ALL our donors — and employees — make a big difference for patients. We couldn’t accomplish our mission of saving lives and supporting our communities without each and every person who steps through our doors. Thank you!