Singer and actor Pat Boone believes most people would roll up their sleeves and donate blood during a catastrophe, even if they don't normally give. They just need to know there's a specific need.

It's a topic he had given a lot of thought to even before the day he, Shirley Jackson and Charlton Heston gave blood together during a blood drive in the summer of 2001. As they left, they joked about who would get "Moses"' (Heston's) blood.

Less than 24 hours later, Boone's grandson Ryan was receiving massive transfusions — more than 36 units in a very short time — after he tripped and fell four floors through a skylight on the roof of a building.

The "who" could be anybody, Boone decided. And Boone and his longtime friend and business associate, Tavish MacGregor, have some large-scale ideas about the "how." Ideas they hope will involve a large number of Americans who will help fill the blood banks and keep them full, especially during a time of catastrophe.

Wednesday, Boone flew to Salt Lake City for the University of Utah's ARUP "Donate for Life" blood drive and to announce that his personal foundation has teamed up with ARUP Blood Services in what will soon be a national effort.

Boone and MacGregor have created USBloodDonors.org, a nonprofit organization and Web site dedicated to boosting the nation's blood supply, which often is dangerously low. The partnership with ARUP is the first of what they hope will be many, nationwide.

They're asking people to register on the Web site with very basic information, including an e-mail address, blood type if known and a ZIP code. When the specific blood type is needed in an area, potential donors will be contacted by e-mail and asked to donate blood. They're also asking those who can't or don't want to donate to sign up to receive the alerts so they can help spread the word.

MacGregor said people would likely be contacted once a year, at most, unless there was dire need.

It's starting with the partnership at ARUP, the sole blood supplier for University Hospital, Primary Children's Medical Center, Huntsman Cancer Hospital and Shriners Hospital for Children.

"We need about 100 donors a day," said Karen Nielsen, technical vice president and group manager for ARUP Blood Services. "People would be stunned if they knew how often the blood supply is precariously low."

Summers, she said, are especially bad because people are out doing other things like vacationing and recreating — activities that themselves often increase the number of injuries that need blood.

In Utah, the U. is a wonderful beachhead, said MacGregor, because it's the third-largest employer, behind state government and Intermountain Healthcare, which are neck and neck. Boone met with Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert later in the day to introduce the program, which he hopes the state will also want to partner with, to let employees know when blood needs are dire. They hope eventually to get the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Intermountain involved, as well.