Tony Lazarowicz has held many leadership positions in his life and career, and it was his innate leadership that led him to becoming a regular blood donor.
Lazarowicz was in high school in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, and served on the Mayor’s Youth Commission and the Student Council. The organizations teamed up to host blood drives at his school, and Lazarowicz felt it important to donate himself. His first donation was in 2002.
“I guess it was ‘lead by example,’” he said. “I couldn’t really ask others to donate and not donate myself, and after that first one, I thought, ‘oh, that really wasn’t bad.’”
Huskers are encouraged to donate blood and log their donations to count toward Nebraska's total in the 2025 We Give Blood campaign through Dec. 5. Nebraska won the friendly contest and the $1 million prize from Abbott in 2024. As of the evening of Sept. 21, Nebraska is in second place with 2,913 donations in the 2025 contest. Wisconsin leads the Big Ten with 3,976 donations. Learn more about the contest and how to help register your blood donation here.
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Lazarowicz is a somewhat unique donor, too. He has O-negative blood, which is the universal donor, but only comprises 7% of the population. To make his donations go even further, he is a double-red donor, meaning he gives two units of red blood cells at once, every 16 weeks.
Looking back, Lazarowicz, now director of advising in the College of Arts and Sciences, is still a bit surprised that he’s reached the 12-gallon milestone as a Nebraska Community Blood Bank donor. He estimates he donated about 5 gallons in Iowa.
“My wife likes watching all these different medical shows, and even fake blood on TV gets me queasy,” he said.
The importance of donating was underscored for Lazarowicz when in 2008, a tornado struck the Little Sioux Scout Ranch, killing four and injuring 48. He rolled up his sleeve to help.
“In those moments of crisis, you can feel kind of helpless, and it’s one way to give back,” he said.
Lazarowicz also recalled a family emergency when his infant nephew was injured, and doctors weren’t sure if he’d need a blood transfusion. They were able to stabilize him without it, but it reminded Lazarowicz how important blood donation is.
“I don't know where the blood goes once it's done,” he said. “As much as possible stays local, and so I can imagine running into somebody who's maybe benefitted. I'm hopeful that at some point, if I ever need it, then they will be there for me, too.”
Lazarowicz’s leadership has continued during his career. In addition to cofounding and chairing UNL’s Academic Advising Association, he’s served the university on search committees, the N150 Strategy Team that developed the N2025 Strategic Plan, and as president of the University Association for Administrative Development. There are myriad ways to give back to his community, he said, but blood donation is one of the small ways he continues to make a big difference. He encourages all of Husker Nation to donate and help Nebraska win back-to-back championships in the We Give Blood Big Ten Competition.
“It's an easy way, and a very small amount of your time overall to make an impact,” he said. “When you look at the course of the many years you can donate, you’re impacting a lot of people.”
