As the need for blood (and Type-O blood, in particular) is increasing, local students are taking action to help. Yesterday, 10 students from the Kelowna campus met in front of the Canadian Blood Services office to show their support for three fellow students who signed up to donate their blood, as part of the Sprott Shaw Blood Drive 2015.
These students were some of the first in the campus-wide blood drive, organized by Practical Nursing students, Karla Olson, who has been volunteering with the Canadian Blood Services. This year is the first year the students are holding the drive.
Now is a great time to donate, says Olson, who will be giving blood herself on the 24th!
“Blood is a very precious gift you can give to someone who needs it, and all you need to do is sign up and go down to the clinic. The effort it takes is so minor compared to the difference you’ll make for someone. Blood transfusions save lives,” says Olson. “Particularly as a nursing student, I’m realizing this need, and I wanted to rally Sprott Shaw students together to give and to encourage Kelowna residents to do the same.”
Olson and her co-organizers are holding the blood drive from now until the end of January. Their goal is to get 20 or more Sprott Shaw students to donate. For all the students who participate in the drive, the college will donate another less precious, but much-appreciated gift: Pizza.
“It’s a wonderful initiative,” says Tammy Hoover, Admissions Advisor and community liaison for Sprott Shaw. “We’re proud of Karla and all the students who are participating, and we hope their donations encourage Kelowna residents to give blood too.”
The first students for the blood drive made their donations on the 13th and more students will be signing up for appointments on the 19th, 20th, 22nd.
Kelowna residents can find out if they’re eligible to donate and sign up to make a donation by contacting Canadian Blood Services at 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283), or blood.ca.
