It takes 1,000 blood donors each day to save lives across the Pacific Northwest. “We need a thousand you and I’s to show up every single day for us to meet the demand at our local hospitals,” said Chris Cashman, 1,000 Thank Yous host. Cashman traveled to Bloodworks donor centers throughout the region, from Bellingham to Seattle to Eugene. He heard stories of why people give and how blood donation has impacted lives. “Saying that you’re saving lives is very real,” he said. “It could be 10 minutes of your time to an hour, and that blood is lifesaving or at the very least, going to extend somebody’s life.” The 1,000 Thank Yous campaign has one message: thank you. Cashman and the Bloodworks Northwest team have thanked many people across the Pacific Northwest and discovered why they choose to be 1 in 1,000. A sheriff’s deputy told Cashman about getting hit by a drunk driver while responding to a call about that driver. The deputy was pinned in his car and needed 90 units of blood. “He was standing there telling me ‘I never expected to have my life saved by blood donation,’” Cashman said. Cashman also met a well-known seismologist, doctors and people who hadn’t donated in a long time but were there to give blood again. “It’s so powerful to meet these people and to realize that you and I genuinely have that ability to go in and spend a few minutes of our time,” he said. Bloodworks Northwest provides a comfortable environment for blood donation, and the trained phlebotomists make it an easy experience. There are also snacks available for those who feel queasy or need a boost. “It’s really not this inconvenience that I think a lot of people associate, from the fear of needles, which is totally fair, to the time commitment,” Cashman said. “Both, I think, are much less than you would imagine.” There is also a more personal benefit of donating blood. If you are a regular blood donor, it decreases your chance of a heart attack by more than 80 percent, according to Bloodworks Northwest. To learn more about the 1,000 Thank Yous campaign and to watch the stories, visit the Bloodworks Northwest website or find them on social media. Sponsored by Bloodworks Northwest Segment Producer Rebecca Perry. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.