By Alesha Capone
Frank Hills is known as something of a “bloody legend” at the Australian Red Cross Werribee Donor Centre.
Mr Hills was last week recognised as the highest milestone blood donor in Werribee within the past year.
He has made more than 370 blood and plasma donations since he signed up as a donor during the ’60s, and he still has his original donor’s membership card from 1965. Mr Hills said he started donating blood while working as a tool-making apprentice at ICI in Deer Park.
He said the process of collecting blood was quite different in those days – the Red Cross vehicles would attend the factory and the workers would lay down on tables in the canteen to have their blood taken.
Mr Hills went on to become a teacher at Galvin Park Secondary College in Werribee, for about 30 years.
During this time, he organised a field trip for students to travel to the donor centre, resulting in about 48 of the teenagers donating blood.
However, he said that would not be possible these days, as it is now illegal for anyone aged below 18 years old to donate.
Mr Hills said he would encourage all eligible Wyndham residents to become blood donors.
Call 13 14 95 or visit donateblood.com.au for details.
