To commemorate Remembrance Day, Canadian Blood Services is encouraging people to #givelife by donating blood, a gift in honour of the contributions of the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces.
During the last year of World War II, Canadians donated 890,000 units of blood for use in military hospitals. Canadian Blood Services says this generous response gave birth to Canada’s voluntary blood system.
More recently, in 2006, the Department of National Defence became Canadian Blood Services’ first national Partner for Life organization. Since then, they have provided more than 30,000 blood donations.
“There are many different ways to serve your country,” Michael Betel, director of donor relations for Ontario with Canadian Blood Services, said in a news release. “Canadians can contribute by working in the line of duty like our members of the Canadian Armed Forces, or by rolling up their sleeves to help patients in hospitals across Canada
“We need more Canadians to experience the feeling you get from serving your country and saving a life.”
This year alone, 100,000 new donors are needed across the country; that’s up markedly from the 85,000 new donors who have been stepping forward the last few years. The increased need for new donors is in part due to recent updates to donation rules addressing travel and health-related matters.
Also, approximately 160,000 donors stop donating each year for a variety of reasons, Canadian Blood Services said. In order to meet anticipated patient needs, Canadian Blood Services looks to welcome close to 2,000 brand new blood donors each and every week.
Donors in Sudbury can #givelife by visiting a clinic this week to make a donation. To book an appointment, use the Give Blood App or visit blood.ca.
You can visit the Sudbury blood donor clinic at 944 Barrydowne Road at the following times:
- Mondays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
