Roll up your sleeves, give

Megan Sarrazin

news editor

It’s that time of year again to roll up your sleeves and donate blood.

On Tuesday, Jan. 18, Grant MacEwan University’s Blood Ambassadors Club is asking students to be generous and give.

Supplied
Giving blood is a simple act that can save numerous lives through a single donation.

Although Canadian Blood Services isn’t currently facing a shortage, they are always in need of blood according to Sheyanne Levall, community development coordinator.

They mobile blood clinic at MacEwan is hoping for a total of 70 students that are able to successfully give blood.

Levall is hoping that clinic will also lead to an increase in donorship in the future, with university-aged students hopefully catching the bug and donating regularly for years to come.

The Blood Ambassadors Club was established earlier this year to encourage students to give.

“Every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood. Canada collects around 900,000 units of blood annually. Every person is affected by blood and the people who give blood,” said Averi Iwaniuk, president of the Blood Ambassadors Club.

She notes that giving blood is a very worthy cause and only takes an hour or so from your schedule.

“You are helping out many people by donating blood. You can save up to three lives by donating once. We never ask for your money, we only ask for your time. One hour every 56 days,” said Iwaniuk.

“It is a fun outing you can do with friends. Go donate blood then go and have a great, healthy lunch together. You will quickly realize how great it makes you feel and you will look forward to going every three months,” she added.

Prior to the blood donor clinic, club members will be promoting the importance of giving blood as well as holding “What’s your Type” booths that will show participants their blood type in just a few short minutes.

Also as part of those booths, the club will be handing out cupcakes to entice students to give.

The Blood Ambassadors Club typically holds two of these mobile blood clinics each year — one in each the fall and winter semester.

As the club is still in it’s beginning stages, they are trying to establish a strong base of students to promote the cause.

According to Iwaniuk, students can get involved by donating at the clinic, volunteering and ensuring that the clinic runs smoothly — they are looking for volunteers to help with snacks, greeting donors and guiding donors where they need to go, as well as assisting with spreading the word on the clinic.

A person can donate blood every 56 days and are encouraged to donate regularly. There is a permanent blood clinic located at 8249 114 St. and people can call 1-800-2-DONATE for more information.

Canadian Blood Services is currently hosting their ninth annual Sirens for Life Blood Donor Challenge, which puts Edmonton and Calgary police, fire and EMS against one another to see who can bring in the most blood donations for the month of January.

Edmonton was crowned champion last year and is hoping to continue the reign. Throughout the month, they are hoping to collect 6,900 blood donations in the greater Edmonton area.

At the Mobile Blood Clinic at MacEwan, donors will be able to sign up for the Sirens for Life Blood Donor Challenge in hopes of getting Edmonton closer to victory.

For more information on the Blood Ambassadors Club and how you can get involved, email them at GrantMacEwanBAC@gmail.com.