Here’s a pic of me with Aditya, whose mother gave blood at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim. Even though I almost wrote “Make the Force be with you” (because my brain really does turn to fudge during book-signings), I believe Aditya was very happy with the book I gave to him.
For the record: Writing Star Wars books is what I do for work, but giving those books away to blood donors and their families makes me happier than I can say.
During the three-day blood drive at Celebration, the American Red Cross collected 122 pints. Because each pint can save up to three lives, we may have helped save up to 366 lives.
And dig this: Of those 122 donations, 69 came from first-time donors. That’s not just impressive. That’s incredible.
Thanks to everyone who donated, and to everyone who shared my posts about the blood drives, including Jesse G Castro, Kevin B. Cleveland, Anne Hinman Diffily, Gordon Gravelese, Denise Hurd, Rachel Kempster, Paulina Lucy, Peter-Angie Mayhew, Roberto Carlos Moscoso, Sheldon Norton, Gary Price, Jill Brack Price, Frank D. Rich, Thomas Riddle II, Ryder Waldron, Star Wars Autograph Collection, and Star Wars in the Classroom. You’re all life savers.
And special thanks to DK Publishing, Heinlein Society Blood Drives, and the American Red Cross for making this blood drive so successful.
All best,
-Ryder
