A Florida-based charity, alerted by the story involving Mr Leblay's visit to Dunedin last week, is offering to fly him to the US to take part in a planned bicycle ride to Washington DC in July, to promote the need for blood donations.
Another US organisation, the Indiana Blood Centre, and another blood-related charity have also included ODT material about his New Zealand tour on their internet sites.
Mr Leblay (30), who planned to cycle from Kurow to Twizel yesterday, accompanied by his French fiancee, physiotherapist Marion Dumas Cheilletz (25), said he had received a mass of emails, including from the US, yesterday morning.
Asked how he felt about the US interest arising from a news report in New Zealand, a small country far away, he said "We are very happy, very surprised.".
"Now it's a small country in a small world." The encouraging and "just wonderful" response to the story, which was published in the ODT's online edition, showed how closely connected many people had become throughout the world, he said.
And all countries had similar needs for blood donations.
"There are good people everywhere, we've met wonderful kiwis," he said.
After the ODT story appeared last Friday, an American friend of Florida businessman and philanthropist Scott Van Duzer, the founder and president of the Scott Van Duzer Foundation, contacted the ODT and said "wouldn't it be wonderful if the Otago Daily Times was the vehicle by which a worldwide blood donation drive was initiated?"
At the friend's request, the ODT has helped facilitate contact between the foundation and Mr Leblay over the planned Florida to Washington bicycle ride.
Mr Van Duzer said he was impressed with Mr Leblay's endeavours and hoped he could participate in the Washington event.
Mr Leblay said he supported the foundation's bicycle ride aims and planned to make a major visit to North and South America in about two years.
Unfortunately, he would not be able to participate this year because he was returning to France late next month, would then be getting married and had much to do before he could set out on his travels again.
Mr Leblay said he had previously criticised the news media for overemphasising "bad things", including some terrorist incidents.
The positive US response showed the results of the media showing "good things" happening, and ODT journalists could also take pride in the outcome.
New Zealand Blood Service marketing and communications manager Paul Hayes said it was unusual that so much US interest had resulted from a New Zealand-linked blood donation story.
