Greater Sudbury residents are urged to donate blood in honour of Canadian Forces personnel during November.
This month residents can pay tribute to Canada’s soldiers and meet the growing need for blood products at home by donating blood at clinics being held in the city.
Participants will be encouraged to complete “In Honour” cards available at the clinics which will be sent to the National Chief of the Defense Staff on their behalf.
Last year the campaign only ran two weeks, but it collected over 2,900 cards, said Steve Tipman, North/East Ontario regional director of Canadian Blood Services.
“This is an opportunity for the people of Greater Sudbury to show support for the members and veterans of the Canadian Forces,” said Tipman.
The Canadian military has a strong historic link to the blood system.
Canadians began to voluntarily donate blood to help wounded Canadian troops during the Second World War.
This was the start of blood banking in Canada and the wartime effort showed that Canadians had both the national will and the generosity to sustain a voluntary blood system.
Earlier Canadian Dr. Norman Bethune did pioneering work with blood transfusions and developed the world’s first mobile medical unit during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s.
This year Canadian Blood Services took their relationship with the Canadian Forces to a new level when it signed an agreement to help create a ‘walking blood bank’ program.
Canadian Blood Services prescreens troops who are being deployed on active duty so that the CF has access to on-call donors in the advent where large quantities of blood are needed, or when supplies are exhausted.
Local mobile blood donor clinics in Greater Sudbury take place in at the following times in the following locations:
- Wednesday, Nov. 15 in Hanmer at the Knights of Columbus Hall from 4 pm to 7 pm;
- Monday, Nov. 20 in Capreol at Our Lady of Peace Church from 4:30 pm to 7 pm;
- Thursday, Nov. 23 in Azilda at Dr. Edgar Leclair Community Centre from 4 pm to 7 pm;
- Friday, Nov. 24 in Chelmsford at Club 50 from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm;
- Monday, Nov. 27 in Onaping at Royal Canadian Legion from 4:30 pm to 7 pm.
To make an appointment to donate blood, phone 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
