Bloodworks 101

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message It’s June 1947, and Bloodworks’ first donation center in Seattle has been open for six months. Roughly 20 miles southwest, Harold Dahl and his crew experience something strange near Maury Island in Puget Sound. What happens next will launch a mystery and a mythology that persists to this day. The truth is out there, and, nearly 80 years l...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Western Washington expects an additional 350,000–600,000 visitors in June and July for to the upcoming World Cup tournament, the largest sporting event on the planet. It’s going to be great for the local economy — and a potential concern for the blood supply. Bloodworks 101 co-producer Helen Pitlick sat down with Kyle Boynton, Bloodworks&...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Hello, Tacoma! On June 9, Bloodworks Northwest will hold the Grand Opening of our newest donor center in Tacoma. The Tacoma supervisor is someone Bloodworks 101 listeners are already familiar with: Jeremy Tanner from our Puyallup donor center. And, as producer John Yeager shares, Jeremy is no stranger to blood donation. Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message The blood banking industry, hospitals and first reponders all over the nation refer to the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the "100 Deadliest Days." Today, on Bloodworks 101, our Co-Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kirsten Alcorn tells Producer John Yeager that this summer, the 100 Deadliest Days include a global sporting...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message The Seahawks are the reigning NFL champions! Three months after Super Bowl LX, we’re still riding that high here in the Pacific Northwest. Major events are fun but come with a potential impact to the local blood supply. With the world’s largest sporting event — the FIFA World Cup — coming to Seattle and 15 other cities in June, Bloodworks...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In the last five years, Bloodworks 101 has published more than 250 episodes. It's been downloaded more than 37,000 times. We've won six coveted Anthem Awards, beating out more than 2,000 entries from 42 countries. But we couldn't have done anything without you, our loyal listener. So for the last couple weeks, we've be...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In the last five years, Bloodworks 101 has published more than 250 episodes. It's been downloaded more than 37,000 times. We've won six coveted Anthem Awards, beating out more than 2,000 entries from 42 countries. But we couldn't have done anything without you, our loyal listener. So for the last couple weeks, we've be...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In the last five years, Bloodworks 101 has published more than 250 episodes. It's been downloaded more than 37,000 times. We've won six coveted Anthem Awards, beating out more than 2,000 entries from 42 countries. But we couldn't have done anything without you, our loyal listener. So for the next couple weeks, we'll be...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message When 11-year-old Brody Hamilton stood at home plate, ready to run the bases before the Mariner's Home Opener on Thursday, March 26th, it was the end of a long battle with cancer. But as thousands of Mariner's fans like Bloodworks 101 Producer John Yeager would find out, there was one more challenge Brody would face. It was the o...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message During the pandemic, Bloodworks Northwest became keenly aware of the impact that a drop in blood donation from college students would have. Recently, we commissioned a study to look at that impact and how to do something about it. The woman in charge of the study, our own Claire Yang, sat down with Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager to d...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Thursday, March 26th, marks Opening Day for the Seattle Mariners. Some say this season begins with more hope than any Mariners' fan can remember. And that includes Trevor Gooby, the Marines Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. But Trevor also has hope that more people will heed the call to become blood donors. That&a...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message For most of us, breaking a toe is a painful inconvenience. For Josh McCullough, co-host of podcasts Murder in the Rain and Always Be My Sisters, it might have saved his life—along with Bloodworks donors and the cardiac surgery team at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland. We sat down with Josh to talk about his heart surgery, the com...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message With the Oscars coming up this Sunday, we felt celebrating the movies was in order. So, in this ENCORE EDITION of Bloodworks 101, host Helen Pitlick spoke to Bloodworks co-workers John Yeager and Bill Harper, along with Donor Center Collections Strategist Kyle Boynton about the power of cinema to connect us. As Helen discovered, these thr...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message In an emergency, every second counts. Last week on Bloodworks 101 , Chief Scoggins of Seattle Fire Department mentioned one way that first responders save lives: by carrying whole blood on board Medic One vehicles to administer transfusions at the scene of a bleeding event. But before this, police officers like Greg Schmidt used to turn o...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message February is Black History Month, a time set aside to honor the contributions Blacks have made in our community. But it's also a time to look ahead at the challenges before us. One prominent Black Seattlite is Harold Scoggins, Seattle's Fire Chief. As a first responder, Scoggins knows the importance of blood donation better than...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message What would you do if someone literally gave you a new lease on life? Now imagine if the number of people who gave you that lease was more than 200? On today's edition of Bloodworks 101, producer John Yeager introduces us to Hayley Resk who's literally "paying it forward" in Portland.    Link to the Solvita website: Sol...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message This has been an epic week for Riq Woolen and the Seattle Seahawks! A few years ago, Riq took part in our "Young Bloods" blood donation awareness campaign. In honor of the Seahawks' championship season, here’s Bloodworks 101 host John Yeager’s interview with Riq from 2023. Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message February marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, a time to reflect on the achievements and contributions made by Blacks in this nation. But as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, it's also a time to look at some "pretty sobering numbers" when it comes to Black Americans and blood donation. For today&a...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message What's holding you back from donating blood? Are you afraid of needles? Well, if you're uncomfortable around needles, this is the episode for you. Because as the donor in this edition of Bloodworks 101 found out, sometimes you can't even feel the donation when it actually starts. The donor's name is Brian Dunning, from...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Recently, Bloodworks Northwest awarded a free trip to one lucky donor. The destination? Tokyo. It was called "Donate and Win," all part of our "Music's in Our Blood" campaign. Producer John Yeager got a chance to speak with the winner who couldn't have picked a more fitting destination. It's a place she&...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message How is hip hop like blood donation? As Jace Ecaj (The Residency, Black Stax) and Giselle Lehmann (Bloodworks) explain, Where the Heart Lives , our high school and college education program, brings the two together in a meaningful and memorable way.  Learn more: https://wheretheheartlives.org/ Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message On December 15, 2025, Bloodworks' Renton facilities received a GO NOW evacuation order after a Green River levee failed and sent floodwaters into neighborhoods around Tukwila, Renton, and Kent. For Bloodworks' VP of Laboratory Operations Mike Charapata, the situation felt eerily familiar. Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message If you listen to radio in the Pacific Northwest, there's a good chance you know the name John Richards. He's the Morning Show Host & Producer at Seattle's KEXP. Well, he's also a Bloodworks Northwest blood donor. And as Bloodworks 101 Producer John Yeager found out, there's a good reason why. It has to do with...

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Lynn and John Tissell met at church — but that's just how it started. They fell in love through blood donation. As Bloodworks 101 co-producer Helen Pitlick shares, theirs is a story that will make the hearts of even the grinchiest Bloodworks 101 listeners grow three sizes.  Support the show

Got a story idea for Bloodworks 101? Send us a text message Each year, Bloodworks Northwest sets aside December 18th as Washington State Blood Donor Day. It's a day that comemorates the Amtrak 501 derailment near DuPont on Decemeber 18th, 2017. But it also shines a light on the need to be ready BEFORE disasters like that occur. The derailment killed three and injured dozens and crippled trans...