A Tradition of Caring for Our Community

On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1949, O.K. Fike and Dr. Millard White founded the Lower West Coast Blood Bank and planted the seeds of a humanitarian idea that would blossom over generations. Now, for more than 70 years, tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers, just like you, have helped to provide the critical lifesaving gift of blood to our local hospitals and patients.

Thank you for your continued support of our lifesaving mission.

Now known as SunCoast Blood Centers, we will continue to address challenges by providing our donors with state-of-the-art collection and testing instruments and serving local patients in need with a reliable and safe source of blood products and services. What began with 551 units of blood collected in 1949, we now hold more than 1,000 blood drives and achieve more than 40,000 units of blood annually. The success of this organization has relied completely on the generosity of its loyal donors.

Our Mission

We are privileged to bring people together to save lives through innovative blood services and therapies.

Our Vision

Be recognized as an industry leader and the “go to” partner for blood related healthcare services.

Our Values

Operate with INTEGRITY.
COMMIT to each other and the community.
EXCEED the expectations of those we serve.
Embrace INNOVATION.

Who We Serve

YOU! Our mission is to serve YOU and others in our community by ensuring a safe, adequate supply of blood products, including pathogen-reduced platelets, and services for a range of local hospitals, healthcare facilities, cancer patients and soldiers actively serving in the U.S. military.