American Legion Family members share their why to donate blood during the 106th national convention.
Robin Shingleton is a nurse in the infusion center at a hospital in Shinnston, W. Va., and is used to drawing blood for her patients. She understands the shortage of blood and decided to donate for her first time while attending the 106th American Legion National Convention in Tampa, Fla.
“I have the time so I thought, I’ll do this,” said Shingleton, a member of Auxiliary Unit 31. “I am a little nervous, but I’ll be able to sympathize with my patients now!”
There is a blood shortage and it’s why The American Legion partnered with One Blood to host the blood drive in the exhibit hall of the Tampa Convention Center for two days, Aug. 24-25. There were 75 Legion Family members who donated, and 56 units were collected for a potential 168 lives to be saved.
“If people are able to help, I urge and encourage them to help,” said Jasmine Jackson, account manager for One Blood. Whether it’s the first time donating or, as one Legion Family member shared that they hit 10 gallons, “We take it all. We love it.”
The blood drive has been very busy, with lines of Legion Family members waiting to donate. That’s the reason the blood drive was held for two days so people can come back “and we don’t miss out on those units,” Jackson said. “Everyone here has been super enthusiastic to just being able to help and donate. One unit can save three lives. Most people don’t know that but every unit counts. Every drop counts.”
The 2025 national convention is the first one Department of Pennsylvania Commander Patrick Love has attended, but it’s not his first time giving blood.
“I’ve been giving blood all my life, ever since I was in the Marine Corps,” he said. “It’s one of the easiest ways you can help people. I had a friend of mine whose son was a hemophiliac, so I used to donate just for him. There’s just so many reasons to give.”
Donors during the national convention received a One Blood water bottle and $20 eGift card as an incentive to donate. Next month, Jackson said the gifts will be related to cancer as “we deal a lot with cancer patients in terms of making sure they are taken care of as well.”
Department of Iowa Auxiliary President Kim Dixon started giving blood when her stepmother, who passed away in 2012, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. “She had to have multiple, multiple transfusions and that’s pretty much what kept her alive. I thought, someone did that for her, I should do that for someone else,” said Dixon, who has donated 4 gallons of blood. “I do it when I can because this is just what we do. We’re all about family and helping anyone that we can. We are about service not self.”
Jackson is thankful to work alongside The American Legion to bring One Blood to the national convention to provide that sense of service not self.
“It’s nice to be in a role that’s allowing me to save lives essentially. But it wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t have the people, like The American Legion, come out and say ‘Hey, we want you in our spot’ and positioning us to be accessible and easy while everyone is here,” she said.
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