Bennie Hart devoted 47 years of her life to Delta Air Lines and its customers as a flight attendant. This week, the 91-year-old retiree gave a little more of herself: blood.

Hart was among more than 60 people to participate in the airline’s inaugural retiree blood drive on Monday, held at the Delta Flight Museum at the company headquarters in Atlanta.

“Donating blood is a great way to help others, and if you’re healthy and able to donate, there’s no reason why you can’t share your blood to help save a life,” she said. “It’s important Delta employees continue to give back to the community because it is really is the nature of our livelihood.” 

The drive, which exceeded its goal of raising 50 pints, benefited the American Red Cross, Delta’s longest-standing nonprofit partner. The partnership has allowed the airline, customers and employees to help those in need for more than 70 years. Delta employees give blood through corporate blood drives, and Delta is the largest corporate blood donor in the Southeast and No. 6 nationwide.

During the drive, Hart was introduced to a new-hire class of flight attendants that was participating in a tour of the museum. She shared her experiences with the class, and noted the importance of giving back to others.

“I began my career with Delta in 1947, and retired as the No. 1 most senior flight attendant,” she said. “Flying was really in my blood – I loved to travel and experience new places, and felt so lucky I was able to meet people from all walks of life throughout my career.”