History

The Gift-of-Life Marathon began thanks to a serious problem: a lack of blood donors around the major winter holidays. Back in 2003, the Red Cross approached folks at Central Vermont Public Service, and asked if they would be willing to add a third employee blood drive due to a critical blood shortage.

Instead, CVPS proposed organization of a public mega-drive, and partnered with WJJR to promote it. The Gift-of-Life Marathon was born!

The GOLM collected 368 pints that first year, and has grown steadily ever since. For three straight years, the GOLM has broken the New England record for a one-day community blood drive. Boston held the record of 772 pints until Rutland collected 856 in 2008 and 1,024 in 2009.

In September 2010, Boston collected 1,177 pints to reclaim the New England record, but Rutland took it back in December, with 1,400 pints. Manchester, N.H., broke that record – and the national record – in August 2011, with 1,968 pints.

In 2011, Rutland collected 1,855 pints! For a little perspective, that puts Rutland in second place all-time, beating the former record of 1,835 held by the St. Louis Cardinals and the University of Missouri, but a little short of the existing record of 1,968 held by Manchester, N.H.