He enjoys the coffee, the donuts and the cookies, but for Austin resident Robert Rice, it’s more about making a difference and giving back.

For the past four decades, Rice has donated blood every several months to the Mower County Chapter of the American Red Cross and has now given 22 gallons during more than 170 trips.

“I always have a warm spot for doing it,” he said Tuesday.

The numbers speak for themselves.

It takes eight trips to equal one gallon of blood, and donors can only give every 56 days.

“This person is one dedicated donor who has saved a lot of lives,” said Jill Applegate, spokesperson for the American Red Cross. “That’s real community involvement.”

For Rice, the journey started when his second child was born by cesarean section, and his wife needed a pint of blood as a result of the ordeal.

“That was the reason that got me going,” he said. “I love the program. I think it’s great.”

At 69, Rice is still going strong and doesn’t intend to stop donating blood anytime soon. He’s already earned 22 pins from the Red Cross, one for each gallon donated, and he’s working on his 23rd.

His current wife, Ruth, now has them fixed up in a special box for display.

“They were lying in a drawer,” Ruth said.

“I said, ‘that’s silly, you can’t see them there.’ ”

Robert said he has donated as little as three times a year and as many as five, and all of the blood drives he’s attended have been in Mower County, except for one.

He once donated blood while visiting in Virginia and received double the cookies for living the farthest away.

Robert admitted he enjoys the coffee, cookies and donuts that are offered at the end of each donation, but he especially loves doing the right thing.

“It’s kind of a nice feeling to know that my blood’s going to good use,” he said.

Elaine Hansen, executive director of the Mower County Chapter of the American Red Cross, said every unit of donated blood has the potential of saving three lives.

“The value of each life is immeasurable,” she said, before adding that her father has needed more than 60 units of blood to treat his leukemia.

“We’re never ready to say goodbye, and if people can make it so we don’t have to say goodbye for a long, long time, that would be great.”

March is Red Cross Month, and Robert said he hopes young people will donate as well.

“The need for blood is so great,” he said. “If the young people don’t do it, I’m afraid we’ll be in for some tough times. It’s a good young thing. A person can give an hour of their time and bounce back no problem.”