Gov. Bob Ferguson Declares Blood Donation Day for Sept. 4

SPOKANE, WA (August 26, 2026) — Sept. 1-7 is National Blood Donation Week, and Vitalant joins the call to encourage people to donate blood and save lives this month. As part of the awareness efforts, Governor Bob Ferguson has proclaimed Washington Blood Donation Day on Sept. 4

Donors of all blood types are vital to helping patients, and maintaining a diverse blood supply is an important part of being prepared for emergencies. Type O blood is especially important because it is among the most-transfused blood types. In an emergency, O-negative blood can be used when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type, while O-positive blood can help patients with a positive blood type, which represents more than 85% of the population. That’s why every donation matters—and why giving blood before an emergency happens can make a lifesaving difference when patients need it most.

More than 60% of the population is eligible to give, and you don’t need to know your blood type before donating. Review eligibility requirements and make an appointment to give by visiting vitalant.org, downloading and using the Vitalant blood donor app or calling 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).

Vitalant is offering a special thank you to donors for answering the call. Those who are opted in to Vitalant Donor Rewards and use the code LABORDAY-2026-V when scheduling their donation appointment between Sept. 1–10 will receive a $20 Vitalant gift card. Plus, all donors in September will receive a glow-in-the-dark T-shirt in time for Halloween.

These are just a few of the more than two dozen community blood drives held each week in the Inner Northwest. Donors can also give at any one of Vitalant’s five donation centers, including 210 W. Cataldo and 11921 North Division Street both in Spokane.