DAVENPORT -- Al Whitney knows his way around the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center.
"It's my first time -- today," he joked, while donating platelets on Thursday, December 14.
Whitney, who hails from the Cleveland area, started "Platelets Across America" a decade ago.
He's already donated in all 50 states.
"Somebody in the hospital needs it," he said. "Somebody's just dying for it, literally."
Now, Al is halfway done with a second lap around the country. That's why the retiree made a stop in Davenport to roll up his sleeve.
"People don't understand," he continued. "I come to the blood bank. I leave the information. I do the donation, then I go home."
Whitney considers this a calling instead of a vacation.
"I don't sightsee," he continued. "The only time I did any sightseeing was when my wife made me promise to go to Mt. Rushmore when I was in South Dakota."
Whitney is allowed to donate platelets every other week. Over more than 50 years, he's donated some 831 units.
"Take an hour of your life and give a lifetime of hours," he suggested.
To learn more, http://www.plateletsacrossamerica.com
