Lansford resident Arthur Williams has been donating whole blood, double red blood cells, platelets and plasma for decades.

He started donating back in the 1980s, and hasn’t stopped.

Williams has donated almost 49 gallons over the years, and soon hopes to hit the 50-gallon mark.

At 80, he joked that the 50-gallon milestone is now on his bucket list.

William began donating at American Red Cross blood drives, and then began driving to Wilkes-Barre to donate platelets, which is a longer process than donating a pint of blood.

The platelet donations, however, go to help cancer and burn patients, he said. They also go to those undergoing major surgeries.

Williams said it made him feel good that he could help those specialized patients that needed donations like his.

“It makes you feel good, especially when you know you’re helping somebody,” he said.

People can donate platelets every eight days, he said, and Williams did until his platelet count started to drop.

“So, then I started giving platelets and two weeks later, I go and give plasma, and two weeks Iater, I go and give platelets and alternate back and forth,” Williams said. “I did that for years and years.”

Later, he began donating with Miller-Keystone Blood Center, which supports the regional hospitals and in turn, people from his town and the surrounding communities, he said.

An Army veteran, Williams has been serving his community since he was just a boy and continued volunteering throughout his life.

He ran with the Lansford Ambulance for 22 years and holds lifelong membership with the American Fire Co. No. 1 of Lansford.

Williams also volunteered to drive veterans to their appointments at the VA Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, as well as help veterans through the Valor Clinic.

Some medical setbacks in the past year have kept him from volunteering as much as he would like, and also stopped his donations of plasma and platelets, he said.

But he isn’t giving up his quest to reach the milestone 50 gallons – he just has to do it a pint at a time and every eight weeks, instead of two.

Williams thinks he is close.

“It will either be this donation or the next donation, I’ll make 49 gallons,” he said.

He’ll find out for certain when goes to the blood drive at St. Joseph’s Parish in Summit Hill next week.

“I wish more people would do it,” said Williams, who turns 81 in April. “It’s blood. It’s something you can’t buy or they can’t reproduce.

“If I can help somebody, I’d gladly do it.”