FARGO -- A Cleveland man on a mission to donate blood and platelets in all 50 states made a stop in Fargo on Monday, Aug. 18.
Al Whitney, 89, visited Vitalant, marking North Dakota as the 34th state on his tour. This is the third time Whitney has donated in all 50 states.
He began donating blood in 1965 and later switched to donating platelets. To date, he has given more than 1,100 units of platelets.
When asked why he continues to donate, Whitney said it comes down to saving lives and families.
"Their blood is bearing life to a patient because of their donation, a father's going to be able to walk his daughter down the aisle, and the mother's going to see her son graduate from college and the young couple over there, they're going to take their baby home from the hospital," Whitney said.