Students in Atlantic Canada are being urged to learn more about their lifesaving potential.
Canadian Blood Services an its volunteer recruitment teams are hosting blood typing events in February.
Spokesperson Erin Gair says they’ll be visiting universities in Moncton, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to help students learn their blood type, “Educate people on why it is so important to donate, how often they can donate and also share the process with them. A lot of people don’t come in because they haven’t been asked or they are no aware that we have a clinic in the city, or they’re afraid to donate.”
Over 110,000 new blood donors are needed in Canada this year to keep up with demand.
“Currently, only four per cent of eligible Canadians actually donate. There are people everyday who require blood at the hospital. It is just getting out there and sharing blood types and encouraging people to come if they want to,” Gair says.
Canadian Blood Services will visit the Moncton campus of U de M on February 4th, from 11-1.
“We are working with mostly universities and community colleges across Canada to get the awareness out there and hoping they will come out and donate,” Gair says.
