Donor Spotlight: Liz Chapman and Riley Arellano

Sisters Liz Chapman (left) and Riley Arellano (right) are committed blood donors and lifesaving heroes. Liz has donated over four gallons so far, and Riley is almost at her first gallon! 

Both sisters began donating while in high school. Liz readily admits that her initial motivation was to get out of class to do so. That quickly changed when a friend was seriously injured and needed blood to survive – it made a big impression that without donated blood the outcome could have been quite different. 

Liz and Riley encourage each other to keep giving and even have a friendly competition to see who reaches the next gallon mark first. The grand prize for the woman who gets there first? Ice cream! 

Liz sums up why the sisters have made donating a habit: “It’s amazing to think that a minor inconvenience in your life can make it possible for someone else to continue living theirs.”