Brevard County blood donors inducted into national donation hall of fame

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Two Brevard County residents were recognized Thursday for giving back to the community by donating hundreds of gallons of blood between the two of them through the years.

Dwayne Hutcheson and George Soper, who are OneBlood donors, were inducted into the Fresenius Kabi 2017 Donation Hall of Fame.

"It's a fitting tribute to a couple of our most dedicated donors," Pat Michaels, spokesperson for OneBlood said in a news release. "Both men have selflessly given the gift of life to patients in need and are heroes to our community."

Hutcheson, who has worked at Kennedy Space Center for more than 20 years, has organized blood drives at local churches, officials said.

Hutcheson reminds people that "blood doesn't grow on trees" and that following accidents or illness, donations can be the thing that "helps people survive, to be with their families." He believes he has encouraged more than 1,000 people to become blood donors over the years, officials said.

Hutcheson has donated more than 133 gallons of blood, platelets and plasma.

Soper began donating blood when he was 20 years old when he started his career in the U.S. Navy.

Soper donates platelets every two weeks, 24 times a year. He had donated 141 gallons of blood over the last 26 years and has saved 3,384 lives.

Cox Media Group