ATLANTA — It’s Labor Day Weekend, which means one of Atlanta’s biggest events is taking over the downtown area.
Thousands of super hero, comic book and pop culture fans are here, whether they live local or came from across the country, all for Dragon Con.
For 24 years now, Dragon Con has partnered with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers to bring on a blood drive of super heroic effort, all to save lives.
With nearly 100,000 people expected in Atlanta for the event, and people packing into downtown Atlanta, the pop culture convention is continuing a legacy of saving lives that grows year after year.
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Speaking with Channel 2 Action News, Galen Unold from Lifesouth said when the partnership first started, they only got 47 donors.
The operation was small, parking a blood mobile outside of the Marriott hotel, with two technicians and Unold running the show.
When it was time to leave, Unold said “we had been there well past how long we should have been, and there were people going no, don’t go yet, I wanna donate.”
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He said it’s grown every year since, and the help they bring stays local.
Unold said the blood they draw for the blood drive stays in Georgia first.
“We meet the needs of this community first, and then we share it with the rest of our system throughout the southeast,” Unold said. “Every donation saves three lives, so if we get 4,000 people to participate, you can do the math pretty quickly as to how many lives this event’s gonna touch.”
For the 2026 blood drive, Unold told Channel 2 Action News about 2,200 people signed up to donate. They’re also still taking walk-ins.
Even before the convention opened, Unold said donors were lining up to help.
“We did 500 people on Wednesday,” Unold said. “The con doesn’t even start.”
Dragon Con officially opened Thursday afternoon to the public and the team at LifeSouth is hoping to bring in the blood that is so critical for lifesaving efforts.
“This year, we’re expecting hopefully over 4,000 people to participate in the event,” Unold said.
Attendees that have come to the convention for years and years, and even first or second-timers, have stepped up to donate.
“I’m Type-O and large enough I can do a double,” Jack Keith, visiting from North Carolina for Dragon Con, said. He brought his daughter with him for support.
Another newer to Dragon Con attendee was Melinda Hathaway, and while she wasn’t in costume when she spoke with Channel 2 Action News, that didn’t stop her from sharing in being super.
“This is my second time giving blood, this is also my second con,” Hathaway said. “When I come to Dragon Con, I purposely come to give blood, too. I just wanna help people. That’s what I’m here for, if I can do it cuz not everyone can.”
If you still want to donate, and check out the convention, there’s still time. Unold said they’ll be taking donations through Monday at 3 p.m.
While Dragon Con may be wrapping up Sunday and Monday, there’s still a chance to walk right in and experience a very Atlanta event.
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