Ohio man visits RIBC on his third country-wide blood donation tour

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A special visitor came to the Rhode Island Blood Center Tuesday morning, as the 87-year-old founder of Platelets Across America continues on his third country-wide donation tour!

Over multiple decades and hundreds of stops, Al Whitney has donated more than five gallons of blood and thousands of units of platelets.

It all started in his home state of Ohio.

“And I got done. I walked out and walking to the parking lot… I had to cross the street and waited for the light to change. I’m standing and there’s nobody around me.  And I heard Al, you can do more than this.” said Al Whitney, setting up for his next donation.

And that’s been the driving mantra behind all of this work.

After decades of running blood drives, he’s now well into his third tour to donate blood in every state with the hope of doing more for people in need.

“People are dying for this. And when I talk to blood donors, I ask what are you donating? They say blood. No. They’re not donating blood; I’m not donating platelets. We’re donating life. Our blood and our platelets are carrying life to the patients. Without it, they’re not going to survive.” said Whitney.

Whitney’s next stop is New Jersey in just a couple of weeks as he continues his third tour.

Over decades of doing this, his only hope is to inspire other people to donate as well.

“We’re affecting the children they might have, the brothers and sisters, the parents, the coworkers, the friends at church. You’re affecting all of these people by donating blood. So, it’s not just one donor, one patient you’re affecting, it’s hundreds of people.” said Whitney.