HONOLULU (KHON2) — A Pennsylvania man who had the goal of donating blood in all 50 states completed his goal at the Young Street Donor Center in Honolulu, with Hawaiʻi being the final state needed for his journey.
Vinton Smith completed his journey on World Blood Donor Day, which falls on June 14, with hopes of bringing attention to the impacts of donating blood.
“It was an honor to host Vinton as he completed his incredible mission of donating blood in all 50 states. We are so grateful for his donation, but even more so, we are grateful for the message he is sharing,” said President and CEO of Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi Kim-Anh Nguyen.
In addition to spreading awareness, Smith said he hopes to encourage all healthy and eligible donors to donate their blood.
“As you’re considering it, think about the impact you can make. The impact goes beyond just saving lives,” he said. “The impact provides moments to be restored in people’s lives that would have been lost forever. A few moments of our life to restore a lifetime of moments for someone else.”
Smith’s journey has spanned for 17 years, with Alaska Airlines helping him by flying him to both Alaska and Hawaiʻi, with his family there in Honolulu to celebrate his major milestone.