If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know that Ira Riklis is dedicated to making regular blood donations and strongly encourages others to do so as well. But even if you’ve read this before, it’s worth repeating again (and again). Why? Because by donating blood, you save lives. Because there’s a steady, urgent need for blood donations no matter what the season. Because, while there are some 116 million people in the U.S. who are eligible to donate blood, fewer than 8 million of those ever do so.
On top of those—very valid—reasons, there are others as well. One of the main answers people give when asked why they don’t give blood is that they’re afraid of needles. So Ira Riklis realizes that it’s important for those of us who do to keep spreading the word that there’s no pain involved, and no reason to be afraid. The other excuse people give for not donating is that they don’t think of it. So it makes perfect sense to keep repeating the message to help raise awareness.