It was 1961 when Patrick Prest first walked into a blood donor centre at Griffith Base Hospital as a dare from some mates in a pub.
"I just thought I was doing something for a good cause," he said.
Sixty years later, Mr Prest has done more than just "something" for the cause.
The Bolton Point man has notched up 500 blood donations, or 501 if you ask him. His 500th was an incomplete donation so wasn't recorded in the system.
He said one of the staff told him his last plasma donation didn't work because of the amount of scar tissue that had built up in his arm due to the amount of donations he had made. So from now on, it's just whole blood or platelet donations for the 78-year-old.
"I'll keep going 'til they say 'you've had enough'," he said.
Mr Prest has been donating in Newcastle since 1994. He is the third Novocastrian to reach a milestone of 500 donations.
He said it had been an absolute pleasure to be able to roll up his sleeves over the years. Mr Prest's wife also used to donate, but has been told she no longer can due to medical reasons. Between them they have completed 850 donations and helped the lives of 2500 Australians.
Mr Prest said he hasn't fainted once and the only times he hasn't been able to donate have been after surgery or when he was sick.
Over the years he has attended events where his milestone donations have been acknowledged, but where blood recipients also spoke about how their lives have changed thanks to those who donate.
"It really felt good to know that some people had come back from almost the brink of death," he said.
And Mr Prest said he also donates in case it's one of his loved ones that one day needs the assistance.
"Maybe somewhere down the track my grandchild or great-grandchild might benefit from a donation," he said.
