From the AABB:

The American Association of Blood Banks extends its sincere gratitude and congratulations to the Five Points of Life Cyclists. October 14 marked the culmination of their 50-day-long ride from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Key West, Fl, in an effort to generate public awareness of the need for donations – not of money – but of gifts of life.

The Five Points of Life -- Blood, Marrow and Blood Stem Cells, Umbilical Cord Blood, Apheresis, and Organs and Tissues – are greatly needed.

• Less than 5% of the eligible population donates blood in the US each year, but one in every 20 people will need a blood transfusion sometime in their life.
• Apheresis donation provides the same amount of platelets as eight whole blood donations and is crucial for leukemia and heart surgery patients.
• Each year 30,000 people are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases for which a marrow or blood stem transplant could be their only cure.
• Umbilical cord blood offers another transplant option for people – especially children – diagnosed with leukemia, anemias and other inherited disorders.
• There are at least 64,000 Americans on organ transplant waiting lists at any given time.

For the past four years, donor awareness has increased as a result of the dedication and commitment of these ten riders, who are either avid donors or are recipients of the gift of life themselves. We ask that everyone – rider or not – join this cause and become a life-saving donor. Just one donation from you can save up to three lives.

Partnering with LifeSouth to produce the Five Points of Life Ride are the American Association of Blood Banks, Coalition on Donation, National Marrow Donor Program and The Marrow Foundation. Ride sponsors include Johnson & Johnson, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, State Farm Insurance, Haemonetics and Saturn/UAW.