According to Derek Clark, he and his wife fell into the concert business when they purchased The Boardwalk in Orangevale and decided to turn it into the venue it is today. Signed electric guitars stretch across the shining dark walls. Overhead, guitars fan out into a whimsical palm tree above the entrance.

A U.S. military veteran, Derek said his social media posts about his blood donations at churches and mortuaries came to the attention of the American Red Cross in Sacramento. Together, they developed the idea of hosting monthly blood drives at The Boardwalk. Derek, even designing a concert tour-style T-shirt with the upcoming blood-drive dates printed on the back.

When asked how to convince other organizations to offer the same service, he explained that all they had to do was put the air conditioning down to 68 degrees and open their doors. Derek said that once the American Red Cross was involved, people would automatically come.

For the Clarks, giving blood is not just an appointment on a calendar; it is a simple, generous act that can help save a life. The couple was recently honored at the California Gold Country’s Annual meeting and told the audience they’ve already scheduled blood drives at The Boardwalk well into 2027.

Derek said he is moved by the stories behind each donation—the quiet reasons people chose to show up, whether because it felt like the right thing to do, because they had seen the need shared on social media, or simply because they walked through the door and decided to help. Whatever brought them there, Derek welcomed each story with warmth and had plenty of his own to share.

Gazing at one another, Derek waved and said, “We always end with Mahalo.”

If you’d like to sign up to donate blood at The Boardwalk, visit rocktheboardwalk.com or redcrossblood.org.