Vinton Smith was 17 when he donated blood for the first time. That was 36 years ago.
Today, Vinton has donated blood 138 times and is just one state away from completing his mission to donate blood in all 50 states. Last month, we flew him from Pennsylvania to Anchorage, bringing him one flight closer to achieving this remarkable goal.
It’s an overwhelmingly good feeling, thinking about all those donations that I’ve made and the impact it’s had. It’s not just about the donation, it’s also about inspiring someone else to give. I have no idea how many people have been influenced and encouraged to give because of my story,” Vinton told Alaska Airlines.
Vinton’s quest started more than ten years ago. But his inspiration began when he was a young boy when he would watch his parents give blood regularly.
Vinton recalls the first time he gave blood, chuckling at the memory of his classmates filing into their high school gymnasium—many of whom were happy to offer their arm for the prick of a needle to avoid sitting in class.
Vinton, however, knew his blood donation would change someone’s life because of what he’d learned from his father and mother. At the time, Vinton just hadn’t fully grasped the ripple effect blood donors have on their recipients.
“I understood that it meant it was going to save people’s lives, but I didn’t really understand the full impact,” Vinton told Alaska Airlines. “What I think about today is—it’s so much more than saving somebody’s life. It’s about giving others longer lives to fill with moments that they would’ve lost forever. And it’s not just that person either—it’s their family, friends, and their experiences and how many more holidays they get to celebrate, and years they get to hold their grandchildren.”
Vinton continued to donate regularly throughout college. After graduation and landing a job, he had a routine of donating blood every other month at the local firehall.
But then Vinton landed a new job that required him to travel and miss one of his upcoming blood drive appointments. That’s when he decided he’d donate in the state his job was sending him.
That became his new routine when he couldn’t make it to the firehall.
“After three years, I counted that I’d donated blood in 16 different states and that’s when I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be a fascinating goal to donate blood in all 50 states? Can I actually do that?’ Well, yeah, you know I guess I could. It’s going to take a while, but that would be something unique,” he said.
Vinton was so committed to giving blood and inspiring others to donate he adjusted his business trips so he was able to give blood (you must wait 56 days between whole blood donations). When it came time to plan vacations with his wife, he’d slyly suggest states that were on his list. His wife always knew what Vinton was up to – she’d smile and call him out before saying “yes” to support the cause.
Vinton’s 49th state
Last month, when we heard Vinton’s 49th state was the state of Alaska—our namesake state—we agreed to fly him and pay for his travel expenses so he could donate to the Blood Bank of Alaska.
Recognizing the critical need for blood donations, we also donated $10,000 to the Blood Bank of Alaska to help the organization to continue its essential services across the state.
