Man's Blood Donations Near Milestone

A New York man is donating his 320th pint of blood this week, making him one of two people in the U.S. who has given 40 gallons. Al Fischer of Massapequa planned to reach the milestone Tuesday, 58 years after he started giving blood. According to a New York Blood Center official, only 83-year-old Maurice Wood has donated more blood than Fischer. Wood is a retired railroad inspector from St. Louis. Fischer, a print shop operator, donates blood about six times a year. He said he and Wood are engaged in a friendly rivalry and last spoke to each other a few months ago.

"I'm too cheap to give money, so I give blood," Fischer, 75, joked in a recent interview with Newsday.
Long Island Blood Services executive director Harvey Schaffler says Fischer has helped almost 1,000 people.

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