Community Health & Wellness
Volunteering is in Larry Bleich’s blood
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Family brought Larry Bleich from Phoenix to Gig Harbor 15 years ago. Since then, he has become just as devoted to a different kind of bloodline.
With a strong desire to give back, Bleich started volunteering with the Gig Harbor Police Department when he settled into his new home. Working with the police department provided him with a personal view of the need, and also the deficit, of life-saving blood donations.
Bleich had already been donating blood himself for many years. He said it’s the easiest and most impactful act of service.
“I always had a desire to help humanity in some fashion,” he said, “and I thought donate blood — that’s lifesaving.”
But he wanted to do more. And that yearn to do more led to a whole new volunteer career.
Larry Bleich organized a semipermanent Red Cross blood drive at the Civic Center in Gig Harbor. He also created the Battle of the Badges blood drive competition between Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One and the Gig Harbor Police Department. Photo courtesy Larry Bleich
Heroes Among Us
In addition to his own blood donations that are scheduled on a regular basis, Bleich jumped in with both feet to volunteer with the Red Cross eight years ago. His work career in senior management and health insurance helped him to transfer into the nonprofit world, where he became involved with fundraising in various nonprofit organizations. And when he came to the Red Cross, he said his skillset matched their needs.
It was the lack of convenience that had Bleich thinking of a way to get more people to donate blood. That’s when he partnered with the city to find a semi-permanent location for blood drives. Bleich said that he thought it would bring in more donors if he could find a way to make it easier for the residents of Gig Harbor and the surrounding communities.
Techs from the Red Cross set up equipment in the council chambers at the Civic Center on Grandview Street on a scheduled day for an 8-hour stint every quarter. Bleich is on hand to educate and keep the mood light.
His blood drive model has been expanded through the Pacific Division of the Red Cross. But his sense of humor, along with his intense desire to serve, is unmatched. Just ask the Red Cross. Bleich was awarded the highest honor of the organization this year, the 2024 Heroes Among Us Award.
“My joke is always, ‘Give 100% in what you do, except when you donate blood.”
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Battle of the Badges
To increase the visibility of the Gig Harbor blood drive, and make it a little more fun, Bleich created the Battle of the Badges, in which the Gig Harbor Police Department and the Gig Harbor Fire Department compete for a trophy. Bleich hands the Battle of the Badges award over to the department that brings in the most donors.
Blood transfusions are used for many different needs, such as accidents, burns, organ transplants, sickle cell disease, and others. Bleich said that every two seconds, someone in the country needs a blood transfusion. Donating blood is one of the most important ways to help others.
He works hard to educate the public about the importance of donating blood and the difference it makes in saving lives. It only costs about an hour of a person’s time.
“Their donation makes a significant impact,” said Bleich. “It’s not in your wallet, it’s in your heart.”
And that is what drives Bleich. He has a built-in yearning to help humanity. Red Cross Gig Harbor blood drives have netted 384 donations in the past year, thanks in part to Bleich’s work. An average of nearly 50 donors have donated at each blood drive, which he said has directly impacted 1,152 lives.
The Red Cross honored Larry Bleich of Gig Harbor with its highest honor this year, the Heroes Among Us Award. Photo courtesy Larry Bleich
Helping after Helene
Bleich also works with the Red Cross as a community volunteer leader and elected officials liaison. He deploys at least once a year to disaster zones, where he provides local elected officials with updates on where their constituents may find emergency shelters, and help. He has a background in animal welfare and serves as a liaison for the national headquarters, for non-governmental organizations and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
As a volunteer with the Red Cross, Bleich said he works harder than he did before he retired. While he is deployed, he said he can rack up many hours in a day. He deployed to the Maui wildfire and was part of the Hurricane Ian team in Florida two years ago.
On Sept. 29, he deployed to Charlotte, N.C., to serve as an elected officials liaison during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which NOAA predicted would become a catastrophic storm. It ravaged the U.S. Southeast — including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with historic rainfall, flash flooding and winds. Bleich said that the planned two-week deployment could prove to be longer.
It’s a volunteer career that he relishes, and he said the work has enabled him to give back in ways he never had before. He hopes to expand blood drives to the Boys and Girls Club, and area high schools.
“It’s the greatest gift you can give,” Bleich said.