MOLINE, Illinois -- A Quad City man hit a major milestone by donating his 100th gallon of blood.
On Thursday, August 17, Terry Calhoun donated platelets at the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center in Moline. Family members, nurses, and blood bank employees came to celebrate the donation with cake and banners.
"Feels good. It's been on my bucket list a long time," said Calhoun.
Each donation is counted as one pint, so Calhoun has made roughly 800 donations over his lifetime.
The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center database contains records for hundreds of thousands of donors, but only a handful have reached 100 gallons. Calhoun's donor history actually pre-dates electronic record-keeping.
Calhoun turned 80 earlier this year. He says he's been working to make the two milestones -- 80th birthday and 100-gallon donation --coincide.
Over the past eight decades, he's also learned to prioritize.
"My faith, my love for my family, and donating blood. Yeah, in that order," said Calhoun. "You know, I don't think so much about saving three lives every time you donate a pint. It's just important, can't even put it into words. But it's been a top priority in my life for almost ever."
Calhoun is planning a blood drive at his church to celebrate his milestone birthday and hitting the 100-gallon mark.
The blood drive will be held at First Church of the Nazarene in Rock Island on Saturday, September 16 from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.