MISSOULA – For his 69th birthday instead of getting gifts, one Missoula local donated blood and in doing so, he hit a milestone.
Tom Wynia has now donated 30 gallons of blood since he started back in college.
“Like many things in life, it’s a little rough because you don’t know what to expect. But as you do it more frequently it becomes more familiar and it’s not a challenge anymore,” he said.
Wynia first began donating thanks to the encouragement of two friends back when he attended Northern Montana College.
He eventually went on to work for the Red Cross for 25 years and throughout that time he continued to donate.
His coworkers came out to support him over the weekend as he celebrated this milestone.
“As we get older we realize that as a member of the community it’s a good idea to give back. And giving blood is a unique and special way to give back. We can’t manufacture it. It has to be a gift,” said Wynia.
He hopes to keep donating for as long as he can.
Click hereto learn more about how you can help out the Red Cross in Montana.
Reporting by Lauren Heiser for MTN News
