National Blood Donor Week
June 13 - June 19, 2011

Canadian Blood Services Celebrates National Blood Donor Week by Asking Canadians to Rally Together to Save Lives

Canadian Blood Services celebrates National Blood Donor week June 13 – 19, 2011. National Blood Donor Week provides an opportunity to celebrate and thank the generous donors from coast to coast who support the blood system in Canada and help ensure the health of their fellow citizens. The week also builds awareness of the importance of blood, plasma, platelet and stem cell donations, and encourages more Canadians to give blood—especially during the challenging summer months.

This year’s theme for National Blood Donor Week is “Rally Together to Save Lives”. Every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood. That’s why Canadian Blood Services is rallying communities across the country to come together and show that collectively, blood donations can make a positive impact on someone’s life. To meet Canada’s future blood needs, we need to inspire more Canadians to join the movement.

Additionally, to spark conversation and compel Canadians to "rally together to save lives", Canadian Blood Services has created the Blood Signal, a visual and aural icon that connects people socially and emotionally to the idea of giving blood. When you see or hear the Blood Signal this summer, please rally your co-workers, family, and friends together to give blood. Summer is typically a challenging time for the blood system because people focus on vacation plans and warm weather activities, while blood donation falls from top of mind. The Blood Signal is a reminder that the need for blood is great and serves as a rallying cry for communities to come together and save lives. We look forward to seeing you soon at one of our blood donor clinics.

Please book your appointment today to donate blood and help save lives this summer. Call 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236 6283) to book your appointment or visit us online at www.blood.ca or www.bloodsignal.ca for more information.

By the Numbers:

We need communities to rally together because it takes many units of blood to save a patient. One blood donation equals one unit of blood. For instance, it can take:

• 50 units of blood to help someone in a car accident
• 2 units to help someone who needs brain surgery
• 5 units to help someone in cancer treatment
• 8 units a week to help someone with leukemia
• 5 units to save someone who needs cardiovascular surgery
• 2 to 8 units to help someone with internal bleeding
• 2 units a day to help someone undergoing a bone marrow transplant
• 4 units a month to help someone with Aplastic Anemia
• 2 units for a hip replacement

Other compelling statistics include:

• 43% of first time donors go with someone else to donate
• Approximately 1 in 2 Canadians are eligible to give blood. Last year 1 in 60 actually did.
• 52 per cent of Canadians say they or a family member have needed blood or blood products for surgery or for medical treatment. (Ipsos-Reid)
• Every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood
• A healthy person can donate blood every 56 days
• Canadian Blood Services is in your community – there are over 20 000 clinics nationwide
• The donation process takes 1 hour – actual collection only takes approx 10-15 minutes

About National Blood Donor Week – June 13th – June 19th, 2011

In 2008 a bill was passed by the federal government in Ottawa recognizing National Blood Donor Week as an opportunity to celebrate and thank the donors and volunteers of the blood system in Canada who ensure the health of their fellow citizens. The week also builds awareness of the importance of blood, plasma, platelet and bone and stem cell donations, and encourages Canadians to donate or become a volunteer – especially during the challenging summer months. This year, National Blood Donor Week runs from June 13th to June 19th, 2011 with the theme of “Rally Together to Save Lives”. World Blood Donor Day falls within National Blood Donor Week on June 14th – the birth date of Karl Landsteiner, a pioneer of transfusion medicine. The global theme for WBDW 2011 is “More blood. More life” with an underlying theme of "paint the world red".