A New York man is donating his 320th pint of blood this week, making him one of two people in the US who has given 40 gallons.

Seventy-five-year-old Al Fischer of Massapequa (mass-ah-PEE'-kwah) plans to reach the milestone Tuesday, 58 years after he started giving blood.

According to a New York Blood Centre official, only 83-year-old Maurice Wood has donated more blood than Fischer. Wood is a retired railroad inspector from St Louis.

Fischer, a print shop operator, donates blood about six times a year. He says he and Wood are engaged in a friendly rivalry and last spoke to each other a few months ago.

Long Island Blood Services executive director Harvey Schaffler says Fischer has helped almost 1,000 people.