Many years ago, the common practice for collecting blood for transfusions was to gather them from the patient's family and friends or even from the hospital's own staff. In some cases, family members were required to recruit enough donors from family and friends before their loved one could have surgery. Hospitals were responsible for their own blood supply.

    In 1968, a group of concerned Lexington doctors decided blood should be collected, tested and distributed from a central location to give every hospital an equal chance to get the blood they needed without worrying if there would be enough to go around.

  With underwriting from the Fayette County Medical Society (now the Lexington Medical Society), Central Kentucky Blood Center was born.The first CKBC donor was UK Football Coach John Ray, who gave blood when the center was located in the basement of the Perkins Pancake House on Limestone St. in Lexington. Some older donors remember fueling up on pancakes before going downstairs to make their blood donation.

    Cramped for space in the late 70's, CKBC purchased the former Fayette County Health Department building on Waller Ave. and relocated the organization. An addition was added in 1987.

   In March 2007, CKBC changed its name to Kentucky Blood Center, because the name better reflected its geographic service area, which now covers the entire eastern half of the state. KBC also opened a new Lexington Donor Center in Lexington's Beaumont Centre, closing the old Waller Ave. site, which had served the community for 28 years.

     KBC wants to thank the thousands of loyal blood donors for their generosity in helping to save lives and encourages new blood and platelets donors to step up and meet the challenge of providing an adequate supply of blood for our region. Kentucky lives depend on it!