Community Corner
RivCo Resident Reaches 100 Gallons In Blood Donations
A 71-year-old Menifee resident has been donating blood for nearly 50 years. This month, he reached his lifetime donation milestone.
MURRIETA, CA — Anton "Tony" Beranyk, 71, first donated blood some 50 years ago while he was a college student. Last week, he reached a huge milestone — he became a 100-gallon donor.
On Nov. 17, Beranyk donated the milestone gallons at LifeStream Blood Bank's Murrieta Donor center.
"There was no epiphany or divine inspiration involved," LifeStream officials wrote in a statement. "He just wanted to help."
When he first became a donor, the Menifee resident wanted to give platelet and whole blood since blood donations can be given only once every 56 days. Alternatively, platelets can be given every two weeks or up to 24 times a year.
"That way, you can do both and donate more," he said in a statement.
Beranyk and his wife Lillian moved to the Golden State in the late 1970s and worked as real estate brokers in the Temecula valley. After his son, Christopher, was born, the moment "re fired my desire to help out of gratitude for the miracle of life."
The best part about donating blood, he said, is that it is done anonymously.
“It is a feeling of community with humans. It’s passing on the gift of life that we were all given,” he said.
