Mr Tyeson has been donating blood since the early 1980s, and said he started because he felt he should do something to help the community.

The Red Cross estimates that he has helped save more than 750 lives, but Mr Tyeson said he was just happy to be able to help.

‘‘I just feel pleased to do it. It’s a thing that now happens every fortnight, and I feel good about it,’’ he said.

‘‘For the first 10 to 15 years it was whole blood every three months, and then I decided to donate plasma, and I’ve been doing plasma just about every two weeks for the past several years.

‘‘I know some people out there have benefited from what I’m doing.’’

The Red Cross is celebrating National Blood Donor Week until August 1.

Blood Service spokesman Graham Innes said the week was about recognising the ordinary people who became extraordinary by donating blood.

‘‘A blood donation gives a patient undergoing chemotherapy the extra strength they need to make it through treatment, Anti-D donors give pregnant mums the extra chance to have a healthy baby and bone marrow donors give patients another chance at life,’’ he said.