Al Whitney Inspires Thousands of Blood Donors and Leaves Them Laughing

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Al Whitney entertained American Red Cross Phlebotomist Cassandra Richardson with a string of jokes as she prepared him to donate platelets at Georgia’s Red Cross regional headquarters in Atlanta. This was Whitney’s 1,054^th donation across nearly 60 years.

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While working as a volunteer, Al Whitney began a tradition of giving a teddy bear to medical patients. Now, one of the bears, wearing blood donor pins from a variety of local centers, travels with him as Whitney donates or talks to staff.

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American Red Cross volunteer and epic blood donor Al Whitney, 87, encouraged Red Cross staff in the Georgia regional headquarters to keep up their work. “Somebody is going to have another birthday because of what you do,” he said.

November 16, 2023

By: Christopher Quinn, Communications Volunteer

As Al Whitney bares his arms for his 1,054^th donation, he looks up at American Red Cross Phlebotomist Cassandra Richardson and sets her up for one of his trademark jokes.

Like stage comics of old, he’s got a million of ‘em.

“What do you call a cow that’s had a calf? Decalfinated.”

The 87-year-old donor, as part of a personal quest, drove 11 hours from Avon Lake, Ohio, to the American Red Cross of Georgia’s Atlanta office to donate platelets. That’s a process where blood is given and platelets, which are a critical component for treating cancer and other medical conditions, are removed before red blood cells are returned to the donor. After decades of donating and organizing blood drives, Whitney began a quest to donate platelets in all 50 states. He accomplished that, did it again and now Georgia is the 16^th state he has visited on his third round of platelet donations across the entire U.S.

It comes at a time when the Red Cross declared a national blood shortage in September. Red Cross blood distributions to hospitals are outpacing the number of donations coming in, and distributions of some of the most needed blood types to hospitals have fallen. Drops in donor turnout have been driven by one of the busiest travel seasons on record, back-to-school activities and back-to-back months of almost constant climate-driven disasters.

“Every two seconds someone (in the U.S.) needs blood,” said incoming CEO of the American Red Cross of Georgia, Alicia Doherty. “There is a constant need, and every day we rely on the generosity of blood donors in order to meet the needs of the hospitals and patients we serve.”

Whitney knows the importance of blood donations to help those who suffer from illness. He keeps with him a letter written to him in 2006 by a child cancer survivor who received blood products and went on to have a productive life. Reflecting on the donation she received at that time helped her become a better person, she wrote.

Whitney’s journey as a blood donor and volunteer started with a chance encounter in 1965. The self-professed former introvert was walking in downtown Cleveland and passed a sign for a blood drive. He walked in, rolled up his sleeve, gave and quietly left. As he was waiting to cross a street, Whitney, a faithful Methodist church member, said he heard a voice tell him he could do more. He looked around. No one was there.

He used that inner voice as motivation to organize a local blood drive, which turned into an inspiring flop.

“I collected three pints,” he said. “There was only one way to go from three pints.”

The introvert became a salesman for the cause, talking to friends, people waiting with him in lines and co-workers at the manufacturing plant where he worked in the maintenance department. For 20 years, he organized a blood drive in Avon Lake every eight weeks, learning along the way how to inspire and entertain those who came, including his now standard patter of rapid-fire jokes.

“Our drives were parties,” says Whitney. “The average blood donor gives 1.6 times a year. My donors were giving 3.2 times a year.”

In 1985, Whitney added a Saturday blood drive to his schedule for another 15 years. In the year 2000, he and his team of volunteers set a goal of collecting 2,000 units and ended the year at 2,069.

Donning another smile, Whitney tells one of his secrets to success. He says he used to give a kiss to everyone who came. He’d sidle up to an unsuspecting donor while his team, in on the joke, would watch. Whitney would lean in, ask for a kiss, “And then I’d hand them a Hershey’s Kiss,” chocolate drop.

After 35 years, he retired from organizing drives and began his quest to donate platelets in all 50 states.

Before his donation, Atlanta Red Cross leaders gathered to hear from him.

“Al is absolutely incredible,” Doherty said. “His commitment to blood donation, through his personal donations and through the thousands of blood donors he has recruited, is truly an inspiration. Hearing from Al energized the room. Everyone was talking about him afterwards.”

He told them, “When people ask you what you do, say, I save lives. Somebody is going to have another birthday because of what you do.”

To make an appointment to give blood or platelets, donors can use the Red Cross Blood App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Find out more about donating blood.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.