February 16th, 2016

The Optimist Club of New Dundee are off to a great start with the Partners for Life Blood Drive but the need for blood and new donors is ongoing. Each year more than 100,000 new donors are needed in Canada to match demand, says Sharr Cairns, Territory Manager for Canadian Blood Services (CBS). Only four per cent of those eligible to give blood are donors and with an aging population, there is a need for more donors.

Cairns says CBS has changed the rules regarding eligibility and some people who were previously ineligible may be able to donate now. There is no longer an upper age limit for donating and some medications and a previous history of certain cancers no longer rule out eligibility, she explains.
The New Dundee Optimist Club has set a target of 35 donations for 2016. The Club’s PFL tracking number NEWD360457 is not limited to club members. Anyone, anywhere in Canada (other than Quebec), may use the number so please encourage family, friends and neighbours to use it when donating. You can sign up using our PFL number online or tell them at the clinic when you donate.

The next clinic is Monday, February 22 at Steinmann Mennonite Church in Baden from 1:30 – 8:00 pm. There is also a clinic at the New Hamburg Legion on Monday, March 14 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm.
To make an appointment or to find out more details on your eligibility, call 1 888 2DONATE (1 888 236-6283).

If you are unable to donate blood, there are other ways to help such as by volunteering at a clinic or making a financial contribution. For more information, go to www.blood.ca. Join the movement.