Rutland High School
22 Stratton Rd., Rutland
Vermont State University
49 University Dr., Castleton
Elks Lodge #345
44-46 Pleasant St., Rutland
Elks Lodge #345
44-46 Pleasant St., Rutland
“The Gift of Life Marathon is part of the fabric of the greater Rutland community. It started as a typical blood drive but quickly became a rallying point for the region, focused on saving lives while building a sense of pride and goodwill for not only participants, but the whole area. For me, it symbolizes everything good in Rutland!”
- Steve Costello, Gift of Life Marathon co-founder
The holiday season is a time for celebrating old traditions and making new ones. This year, add the gift of life to your holiday to-do list! Your blood donation can bring hope and healing to patients in need. The 2026 Gift of Life Marathon Blood Drive will offer four days of giving – with hundreds of donation appointments available. The drive aims to collect more than 400 lifesaving blood donations.
Festive activities and busy calendars this time of year can disrupt normal routines, leading to a drop in blood donations. Donors of all blood types − especially those with types O negative, O positive and B negative blood and those giving platelets − are urged to make an appointment to donate.
The Gift of Life Marathon started in 2003. In 2013, it set the record for the largest single-day blood drive in American history, collecting 2,350 units of blood.
This year’s drive will honor the legacy of Nanci Gordon. The beloved radio host gave her voice to the community, her time to important causes and her blood to patients in need. As an avid Power Red donor, Nanci gave more than seven gallons of lifesaving blood during her lifetime, often the first to donate each December at the Gift of Life Marathon.
This year, honor her legacy. Meet the need like Nanci. Give blood. Save lives.
During a Power Red donation, you give a concentrated dose of red cells, the part of your blood used every day for those needing transfusions as part of their care. This type of donation uses an automated process that separates your red blood cells from the other blood components, and then safely and comfortably returns your plasma and platelets to you. Red cells from a Power Red donation are typically given to trauma patients, newborns and emergency transfusions during birth, people with sickle cell anemia and anyone suffering blood loss.
With just a little extra time at your appointment, you can donate more red cells and increase your impact on patients in need.
Schedule your appointment today. Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and use sponsor code “GOLM2026.”
Come give blood Dec 7-17 for a $20 e-gift card of choice. See rcblood.org/gifts for details.
Come give blood Dec. 18-Jan. 3 and get an exclusive Red Cross long-sleeved T-shirt, ltd. qty!^
This annual community drive is supported by Green Mountain Power in partnership with 98.1 WJJR.
“This blood drive is about saving lives, but also more than that. We are connected to each other in this community by events that bring us together. We are all on the same lifesaving team, young and old, different walks of life. It is a Hallmark movie that comes to life every holiday season.”
- Terry Jaye, Gift of Life Marathon co-founder
Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Blood is essential to help patients survive surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. This lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation. The need for blood is constant. But only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood yearly. You can help the American Red Cross make sure that supply meets demand.
Interested in volunteering at the Gift of Life Memorial Blood Drive?
Email VolunteerNNE@redcross.org for more information, available positions and next steps.
Interested in sponsoring the Gift of Life Memorial Blood Drive?
Email SupportNNE@redcross.org for more information.
