After a surgery a few years ago, Kadyn Culp needed blood and fast.

“I would tell the blood donors that I’m forever grateful for them donating blood. Without them, I’m not sure I would be alive,” he said.

Kadyn, 19, is paying it forward.

As a high school senior at Capital High School in Helena, Kadyn became part of the Leaders Save Lives Blood Program and organized his first blood drive.

“I saw how many lives were impacted in just five hours,” he said. “That’s a great impact in a short time.”

Through his drives, the Red Cross has collected 90 units – up to 270 people helped.

“Something I’ve learned through the experience of donating blood is with a relatively fast process you can help someone out,” he said.

Kadyn was able to get his family involved as new donors, as well as his church, the Hannaford Street Bible Church, which hosted the blood drive.

“I told them I wanted to run this blood drive, but I didn’t have a location. They were more than happy to help me out,” he said.

Now Kadyn is a Red Cross blood donor ambassador and a Montana State University psychology student. His fourth blood drive is scheduled for May 14.

As a donor ambassador, Kadyn checks in people, takes temperatures, refreshes the canteen, and “everything I did at the blood drives, just with a different title.”

“I try to tell how impactful it is,” he said. “If they haven’t gone through the experience of needing blood – which is good, it’s not a fun experience – they don’t quite understand.”