Making his 50th blood donation last week, Mark Brien has always been passionate about helping the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Donating roughly 470mls each time, it totals 24 litres of blood.
He first started giving blood 30 years ago, joining up with a local group that regularly made trips to Dubbo to roll up their sleeves.
"Back then it was something we all did to help out," he said.
These days, with the Mobile Blood Service often coming to Wellington, it is even easier to donate blood.
The Mobile Blood Service was busy on Thursday as locals dropped by the Coles car park and Mr Brien said he hoped even more people in Wellington would get involved to help save lives.
Twenty-nine people donated blood, which will save 87 lives. This was slightly down from last year's 33 donations.
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service thanked donors for their efforts.
Community Relations Officer Erin Clarke said one in three Australians will need blood or a blood product in their lifetime, but only one in 30 currently donates. Australia needs 27,000 blood donations each and every week.
Did you know that 34 per cent of donated blood goes to cancer patients?
Blood donations are needed to help save the lives of cancer patients, road trauma victims, pregnant mothers, unborn babies and people undergoing emergency surgeries.
The Mobile Blood Service will be in Wellington again on July 23.