I?m approaching September 11^th a little different this year than in years passed. It goes without saying that today is about remembrance; remembering those who touched our lives on that frightful and fateful day, remembering family and friends who passed on and those who struggled to survive, and remembering those who put others before themselves and those who in the end gave the ultimate sacrifice to save others.

I also encourage everyone to remember to stay vigilant and alert and to know what that means. Today and everyday should be used as a reminder of what we as individuals can do to support our communities and those less fortunate than ourselves. A hero can be anyone. All heroes have one thing in common and it is creating a positive impact. May it be as drastic as laying down one?s life OR as simple as doing acts of kindness out of your own initiative without expecting or asking for any in return. Heroism starts with having the right motive and intention, and is followed through by a concrete action that is taken regardless of the outcome.

My goal by the end of the day today is to have recruited 5 HERO?s. Just to download the RedCross blood app, join #TeamEitel and schedule a donation! You can find the app for iOS and Android here (http://share.3sidedcube.com/arc/blood/teams/1419). With each whole blood donation you have the potential to save upwards of 3 lives. The easiest 8 minute act of heroism you?ll ever participate in.

I challenge you, I implore you! Donate as many times and as many different ways as you can per year! The need for blood was great on September 11^th, the need for blood is great today. The need to make a difference hasn?t changed, just the environment in which we exist.

I just signed up for my first platelet donation scheduled next Monday in Timonium. I thought I knew a lot about donating blood until just today I learned that it could be beneficial for me to donate platelets too. If you are a platelet donor, you can still make regular whole blood or double red cell donations.? Both gifts are vitally important to patients with life threatening diseases.

Whole Blood Donation (All blood types, most common, 8-10 minutes, eligible every 56 days)

Double Red Cell Donation (Type O preferred, ~30 minutes, eligible every 112 days) (http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/double-red-blood-cells-donation)

Platelet Donation INFO (A+, B+, and AB blood types encouraged!, 1.5-2 hours, up to 24 times a year!) (http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations/platelet-donation)

All of this information can be found at (http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/types-donations). Educate yourself!

One love,

J.D.E