DAYTON – Arcanum donor Philip Bayer made his milestone 500 lifetime donation at the Solvita Dayton Center on Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving, an important day to donate because of the many challenges to the blood supply that come with the long holiday weekend.

“I started out in 1976 doing whole blood,” said Phil, who is now a platelet and plasma donor. “In 1994 I started doing apheresis. I typically do it 24 times a year and slip in a whole blood donation to make it 25. There’s been a couple of times when I’ve had to stop for a couple of years because of problems with my diabetes.

“When I really got started with apheresis was when my dad was diagnosed with leukemia. I realized that platelet donations largely go to cancer patients.”

Phil supports Solvita blood drives across Darke County. He often donates at the Solvita Dayton Center because it is close to his work as CFO for the national general contractor GLR, Inc.

“I was excited about it,” Phil said. “It’s just another donation for me, but it’s really nice to see the way people make it such a special donation. This is a special day. It’s not about me. It’s about everybody else that gets the benefit, the people that it helps.”

Make an appointment to donate with Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) on the Donor Time app, by calling (937) 461-3220, or at www.donortime.com.