For 75 remarkable years, We Are Blood has been at the heart of Central Texas – proudly serving as the sole supplier of blood products for our 10-county region. This milestone is more than a number. It represents decades of lives saved, partnerships built, and a community united by compassion.
Founded by the Travis County Medical Society on September 24, 1951, we’ve been the first and only nonprofit blood bank to serve the greater Austin area. From the very beginning, our mission was clear and unwavering: to serve and protect the Central Texas blood supply. What started with four Austin hospitals – Brackenridge, Seton, Holy Cross, and St. David’s – and soon expanded to include rural hospitals in surrounding areas.
In the 1970s, we relocated to our current home on North Lamar, marking a new chapter of growth. Our reach expanded to the 10-counties we proudly serve today and over the decades that followed, we continued to evolve to meet the needs of our community.
Over the last decade alone, our community has seen extraordinary growth in population along with new medical services and programs becoming available locally. With that, We Are Blood has experienced an increased need for our services.
Today, we provide 95% more platelets and 55% more red cells annually for local patients than we did ten years ago.
We grew to four donor center locations, developed several mobile teams to offer blood drives seven days a week, and expanded our services to more than 50 hospitals, medical centers, and EMS agencies – remaining the exclusive provider of blood products for patient transfusions across Central Texas.
Additionally, we launched our HERO+ Whole Blood Program in partnership with local EMS providers allowing them to offer pre-hospital blood transfusions, improving a patient’s chance of survival.
In May 2025, We Are Blood’s clinical services team successfully performed its first pediatric stem cell collection, after more than two years of preparation with Dell Children’s Medical Center. The launch of Central Texas’ first pediatric stem cell transplant program is a groundbreaking achievement providing a higher level of cancer care for local families and lifesaving treatment options closer to home.
While we’re proud of the extraordinary milestones we’ve achieved, our story has always been about people.
Blood connections run deep.
We are who we are because of the people of Central Texas – our neighbors, friends, and family. Whether staff, volunteer, community partner, or donor, we are united for a shared purpose, and each play a vital role in fulfilling our mission.
We donate and draw blood, coordinate blood drives, support first responders, partner with hospitals, volunteer our time, and, for many of us, personally witness the lifesaving impact of blood through loved ones who are recipients.
Central Texas is home. As our community continues to grow and flourish, we remain steadfast in our mission as the nonprofit blood center that exclusively serves over 50 hospitals, medical facilities, and EMS agencies across our region.
We look back at all the years we’ve served this community, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude. This 75-year milestone is a testament to the unwavering spirit of our donors, volunteers, staff, and community partners who fuel our mission with dedication and compassion every single day. Thank you for being an indispensable part of our story.
Here’s to the next 75 years of saving lives locally, strengthening our community, and standing together as family.
We Are Blood.