Our Story
It was a cold January morning when I first heard about the national blood shortage on the news. The report mentioned how donations drop off during the winter, leaving hospitals struggling to meet the needs of patients in critical condition. As a volunteer EMT, this news hit me hard. I had seen, time and time again, how vital blood is during emergencies—how it can be the difference between life and death for someone on that stretcher.
That day, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to do something. I started searching online, looking for ways I could help. That’s when I came across the Red Cross and their calls for more local blood drives to combat these shortages. The idea sparked something in me. I knew that if I felt this strongly about it, other EMTs—people who had witnessed the same urgent need—would feel the same.
"We created this drive not just to address the immediate need but to build a lasting community effort."
So, I reached out. I connected with my fellow EMTs, those who had stood beside me in the most intense moments, and shared my vision. The response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. We all knew that we could do more, that we had to do more. And that’s how the Bethesda Blood Drive was born.
We created this drive not just to address the immediate need but to build a lasting community effort. We wanted to ensure that our hospitals would never be caught unprepared and that those who needed blood would always have access to it. What started as a response to a national shortage has now become a mission close to our hearts—a mission driven by the experiences we’ve had and the lives we’ve touched.
Together, we’ve built something powerful, and with your help, we’ll continue to save lives, one donation at a time.