Boreal Community Media to host "Give Life to the Max" blood donation and blood stem cell donor registry event
Oct 15, 2025 10:45AM ● By Content Editor
Image: Boreal Community Media
From Boreal Community Media - October 15, 2025
November is often thought of as the month of "giving." Statewide, Minnesotans join together to give back as part of Give to the Max Day, where they support organizations and causes that mean the most to them.
In past years, Boreal Community Media has celebrated Give to the Max Day in a variety of ways. This year, to express our gratitude and celebrate the things that matter most, community and, of course, life, Boreal Community Media is hosting "Give Life to the Max," with three opportunities to give.
1. Give Life (through blood donation)
Earlier this year, Memorial Blood Center announced a critical blood shortage for the state of Minnesota, with less than enough for a two-day supply. According to a release by Memorial Blood Centers, the decrease in donations was a result of more people going on summer vacations, school breaks, and high temperatures. At the same time, the demand for blood has increased due to a rise in trauma cases.
Blood donations are used for people suffering from trauma, undergoing invasive surgeries, cancer treatment, organ donation recipients, premature babies, people during labor and delivery, and people with sickle cell or other types of anemia.
The blood drive will take place on November 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Memorial Blood Center bus, which will be parked in the parking lot of The Hub.
Plus - every donor will receive a free Boreal Community Media mug as a thank-you!
All donors must schedule an appointment ahead of time. Find available spots here.
Can't make it to Grand Marais on November 18? A separate blood drive is taking place in Tofte on November 17, hosted by the West End Community. Learn more here.
2. Give Life (by signing up for the Blood Stem Cell Donor Registry)
You can register as a potential donor if you’re:
- Between the ages of 18 and 35
- A resident of the U.S., its territories, or freely associated states
- Able to meet NMDP health guidelines
- Not already registered through another U.S. organization
Learn more about the process of joining the registry and see if you're eligible here.
**Please note: At this time, only potential donors aged 18-35 can be added to the blood stem cell donor registry. According to NMDP, donors aged 18 to 35 are medically preferred and requested nearly 80% of the time by medical professionals because scientific studies show that cells from younger donors lead to better long-term survival rates for patients. Read more here.
Organizations like our partner NMDP, (formerly bethematch.org), use Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing to match donors to patients suffering from blood cancers (like leukemia and lymphoma) and other life-threatening blood disorders. According to NMDP, approximately 70% of patients who need a transplant must find a compatible, non-family donor.
The registry has an ongoing need for younger donors (ages 18-35) and those from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Every individual who swabs for the registry will receive a free Boreal Community Media mug as a thank-you!
3. Give your Support
Boreal Community Media is a non-profit organization committed to giving back to the community that supports us. We're proud to provide you with daily community news updates and stories, free classified ads, and an event calendar. We also take pride in hosting free community tech support events during the summer and organizing events like this one.
Your financial gift to Boreal Community Media in honor of Give to the Max Day directly funds initiatives like those mentioned above, as well as our operational needs that make all these things possible.
In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing stories of community members who have received lifesaving donations of blood and/or bone marrow, so stay tuned!
A huge thank you to Memorial Blood Centers and NMPD for partnering with us for this Give to the Max Day event, and to The Hub for allowing us to use their space for the event that day!
