LITTLE CURRENT—Annan Zubal, Canadian Blood Services territory manager for Manitoulin, dropped by The Expositor office recently to offer his thanks for the paper’s support of the Canadian Blood Services blood donor campaign and to put in a plea for folks to make the effort to come out to the blood donor clinic tonight (July 2) at the rec centre in Little Current.
“Thanks to the coverage in the paper and hard work of our volunteers, we hit our target for the first time in a long time at the last blood donor clinic,” he said. “But after the May long weekend, the demand for blood really goes up. This will be the last clinic for the summer; we won’t be back on the Island until October.”
Although donors are encouraged to book their donation at least two days before the clinic, the blood donor clinic does take walk-ins, he noted. “There are always people who, with the best intentions, can’t make it to their appointments.”
Blood supplies across the province drop significantly in the summer months but this coincides in a perfect storm with donation drops. “We depend a lot on the schools, the colleges and the universities for donations throughout the year,” said Mr. Zubal. “But the students have all gone home to their summer jobs and communities.” The result is a greater need for people to step up their blood donations at this time of year.
The clinic runs from 4 pm until 7 pm July 2 at the Little Current rec centre and there will be light refreshments to nosh on while pausing the requisite few minutes following your donation.
“It only takes a few short minutes to help save a life,” said Mr. Zubal. That life may be that of your child, grandchild, sibling or neighbour—it truly is “the gift of life.”
