You come for the snacks, you stay for the feeling of righteousness.

For my 10th NZ blood donation I got a nice water bottle plus the usual buffet of coffee, cookies and cheese ‘n’ crackers.

I gave blood fairly regularly in the US. When we moved to NZ I wasn’t eligible because of lingering mad cow disease fears from my time in France in the early 80s. Then, they changed the rules to allow me in, but I didn’t get into the habit.

Lee went in last year (on doctors orders) to get rid of some of her overly iron-rich blood, and I came along and started donating regularly. I give plasma, which is just a regular donation here… not a sleazy industry draining the homeless and the addicted like my picture of US plasma centers. It means I can go up to every two weeks. So, my next prize (for donation 25) is less than a year away!