March 20, 2008 - 2:17am
Saving a life just got easier.
Students of Malaspina University-College wanting to help give life back to others will now have the convenience of donating blood within arm’s reach.
Canadian Blood Services will hold its first Malaspina blood donor clinic from 11 am to 4 pm on Tuesday, March 25 in the Malaspina University-College gymnasium.
Malaspina University-College student and blood donor champion Ian Anderson decided he would take the lead in hosting a blood donor clinic on campus.
“Last year I decided that I should donate blood for the first time, but as a busy student I didn’t know if I could find the resources to travel to the Nanaimo blood donor clinic,” Anderson said. “I felt having a blood donor clinic on campus would be a great opportunity for students to learn about how to get involved with blood donation and to hopefully become life-long donors.”
Students from Malaspina’s nursing program will be volunteering at the clinic. The clinic is part of Canadian Blood Services’ initiative to encourage younger people to become regular blood donors and to make giving more convenient for students.
“Currently, the average donor age is in their mid-forties. We realize that these donors can’t give forever, and as they age may require blood transfusions,” said Jason Austin, community development coordinator for the Vancouver Island mobile blood donor clinics. “Canadian blood donors are among the most generous people in the world. However they need company. That’s why we’re making it easier for students to join the ranks of current blood donors.”
Canadian Blood Services will not be taking appointments for these clinics. Donors are encouraged to drop-in to the clinic to donate. For more information on donor eligibility call 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283) or visit www.blood.ca.
About Canadian Blood Services
Canadian Blood Services is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization that manages the blood supply in all provinces and territories outside of Quebec and oversees the country's OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Registry. A dedicated team of about 4,800 staff and 17,000 volunteers enable us to operate 40 permanent collection sites and more than 20,000 donor clinics annually. Canadian Blood Services is a non-governmental organization, however the Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Health provide operational funding, and the federal government, through Health Canada, is responsible for regulating the blood system. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.blood.ca.
Tags: In the Community
